Auburn: a football coaching history

Power Program III#25 of 138–
See Auburn’s full 91-year Zeitgeist History →
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Stature and coaches, 1936–2026

The program’s standing over time, with every coach’s tenure beneath it — read down to see who was there for each rise and fall.

DynastyBlue BloodPower ProgramNational ProgramRegional Program

Run↔pass identity, by season

No play-by-play coverage before 2004more passmore run200420062008201020122014201620182020202220242026
Program GOAT
Gene Chizik
0 Dynasty · 1 Blue-Blood seasons
Right now
Alex Golesh
in year 1 — too new to place in Auburn's history

Every coach

Big movers show how many stature points they built or lost against what they inherited; steadier tenures show the tier they reached instead. A small blue arrow marks a real System Shift at that changeover — how hard the offense’s run/pass identity flipped.

2026–now
Alex Golesh Short tenure
No outlier style signal this stint
4-4
2025
D.J. Durkin Short tenure
No outlier style signal this stint
vs. Alabama
1-2
2023–2025
Hugh Freeze Steady
Hugh Freeze held the Tigers at Power Program II for 3 seasons.
No outlier style signal this stint
vs. Alabama
−3.3 pts over 3 seasons · bottom 47% of 3-5-season tenures (717 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Ron Vanderlinden’s Maryland run (1997–2000)

7th-best Auburn tenure of 11 by the numbers.

Followed Bryan Harsin (2021–2022) · succeeded by D.J. Durkin (2025).

System Shift, on departure
System Shift, on arrival
Season202320242025Trend
Record & result
Record6-75-74-5
PostseasonL bowl——
Recruiting rank#18#10#8
Style — pass rate
Pass rate38.247.944.4
Coordinators
OCPhilip MontgomeryDerrick NixDerrick Nix
DCRon RobertsCharles Kelly / D. J. DurkinD. J. Durkin
Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile
Offense366356
Defense698286
Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script
1st-down pass%35.947.543.7
Red-zone pass%34.844.037.3
4th-down go%opp. territory32.325.938.6
Recruiter or developer?

Performs about as expected for his recruiting talent on offense and outperforms his recruiting talent on defense.

Offense vs. talent
-11.5 pts
#155 of 208 · middle half
Defense vs. talent
+17.3 pts
#39 of 208 · top quarter
Recruiting talent is team-wide (no offense/defense split exists in the source data) -- both sides are scored against the same talent input, only the outcome is side-specific.
Roster construction · portal era

A portal-built roster.

Portal arrivals
57
3.3★ avg rating
Portal departures
71
left via the portal
Net portal flow
-14
#45 of 187 FBS stints
Notable portal arrivals with a modeled NIL value
Eric Singleton Jr. On3 modeled · $1,000,000Ashton Daniels On3 modeled · $1,000,000Xavier Atkins On3 modeled · $1,000,000
On3’s modeled estimate (social reach / exposure), not money actually paid — shown per player, never totaled.
Who they bring in

Brings in bigger-than-position-typical players than most.

Recruits older, more experienced transfers than most.

Avg. size (raw)
6′2″, 246 lbs
across 44 of 57 arrivals — unadjusted for position mix
Size vs. position-typical
+9.9 lbs
#21 of 255 · top quarter
Avg. class year
Sr
#1 of 255 · top quarter
Top states: TX (6), GA (5), FL (4), TN (3), LA (3)
Who won the portal our read
Talent added
61.7
position-weighted
Talent lost
59.1
position-weighted
Net
+2.6
arrivals minus departures
Best addition: Jackson Arnold (QB) from Oklahoma
Biggest loss: Walker White (QB) to Baylor
Position-value-weighted (QB/CB weighted highest, depth-decayed within each position) — the same scoring engine as the Portal Heat feed, not a separate grade.
Does the system survive a coordinator change?
OC: Philip Montgomery → Derrick Nix · 2024
36th pct63rd pct0th100th
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
1st-down pass rate: 35.9% → 47.5% (+11.6 pts)
Confound, shown not hidden: only 71% of offensive production returned the year the coordinator changed — the roster turned over at the same time, not just the play-caller.
DC: Ron Roberts → Charles Kelly (co) / D. J. Durkin · 2024
69th pct82nd pct0th100th
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
Roster size, by position
Skill positions · usage-weighted (real participation)
Quarterback
212 lbs
6′2″ avg · #402 of 767 · middle half
Running back
208 lbs
5′10″ avg · #356 of 791 · middle half
Wide receiver
190 lbs
6′1″ avg · #508 of 791 · middle half
Tight end
254 lbs
6′5″ avg · #92 of 731 · top quarter
Trench & secondary · recruited roster, not confirmed starters
Interior line
319 lbs
6′5″ avg · #61 of 779 · top quarter
D-line
301 lbs
6′3″ avg · #80 of 753 · top quarter
Edge
263 lbs
6′3″ avg · #27 of 188 · top quarter
Linebacker
234 lbs
6′2″ avg · #147 of 772 · top quarter
Cornerback
189 lbs
6′0″ avg · #459 of 771 · middle half
Safety
196 lbs
6′0″ avg · #192 of 346 · middle half
Offensive-line size is one undifferentiated bucket — the source data almost never distinguishes tackle from guard from center, so we can't split them out.
Where the roster comes from, by position
Buys Athlete via the portal
33%
#8 of 146 stints
Buys Tackle via the portal
67%
#21 of 223 stints
Grows Interior line from high school
78%
#172 of 224 stints
Grows Cornerback from high school
75%
#200 of 236 stints
Postseason detail2023: Lost to Maryland 13-31 TransPerfect Music City Bowl

13 NFL Draft picks: Nehemiah Pritchett (2024), Jaylin Simpson (2024), D.J. James (2024), Justin Rogers (2024), Marcus Harris (2024), Jarquez Hunter (2025), KeAndre Lambert-Smith (2025), Jalen McLeod (2025) + 5 more

AI Narratives — “Auburn's Portal Math and 2025 Outlook” and 4 more on the team page.

−3.3
15-19
2022
Cadillac Williams Short tenure
No outlier style signal this stint
vs. Alabama
2-2
2021–2022
Bryan Harsin Short tenure
No outlier style signal this stint
vs. Alabama
9-12
2020
Kevin Steele Short tenure
No outlier style signal this stint
vs. Alabama
0-1
2013–2020
Gus Malzahn Steady
Gus Malzahn moved the Tigers from Power Program II to Power Program I in 8 seasons.
Swung 19.9 points of pass rate — #37 of 449 FBS coaching stints since 2004
vs. Alabama
+5.0 pts over 8 seasons · top 33% of 6-9-season tenures (368 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Ryan Day’s Ohio State run (2018–now)

3rd-best Auburn tenure of 11 by the numbers.

Followed Gene Chizik (2009–2012) · succeeded by Bryan Harsin (2021–2022).

System Shift, on arrival
System Shift, on departure
Season20132014201520162017201820192020Trend
Record & result
Record12-28-57-68-510-48-59-46-4
PostseasonTitle game LL bowlW bowlL bowlL bowlW bowlL bowl—
Recruiting rank#10#6#8#9#9#12#11#7
Style — pass rate
Pass rate28.135.434.330.937.342.741.948.0
Coordinators
OC—Dameyune Craig / Rhett LashleeDameyune Craig / Rhett LashleeRhett Lashlee / Kodi BurnsChip Lindsey / Kodi BurnsChip Lindsey / Kodi BurnsKenny DillinghamChad Morris
DC—Ellis JohnsonWill MuschampKevin SteeleKevin SteeleKevin SteeleKevin SteeleKevin Steele
Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile
Offense9192586167716167
Defense1832797593839318
Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script
1st-down pass%21.222.825.524.930.943.539.541.9
Red-zone pass%13.927.121.422.125.236.435.240.8
4th-down go%opp. territory17.912.519.531.015.030.219.521.4
Recruiter or developer?

Performs about as expected for his recruiting talent, on both sides of the ball.

Offense vs. talent
-1.6 pts
#115 of 208 · middle half
Defense vs. talent
+9.0 pts
#64 of 208 · middle half
Recruiting talent is team-wide (no offense/defense split exists in the source data) -- both sides are scored against the same talent input, only the outcome is side-specific.
Does the system survive a coordinator change?
OC: Dameyune Craig (co) / Rhett Lashlee → Rhett Lashlee / Kodi Burns (co) · 2016
58th pct61st pct0th100th
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
1st-down pass rate: 25.5% → 24.9% (-0.7 pts)
Confound, shown not hidden: only 57% of offensive production returned the year the coordinator changed — the roster turned over at the same time, not just the play-caller.
OC: Rhett Lashlee / Kodi Burns (co) → Chip Lindsey / Kodi Burns (co) · 2017
61st pct67th pct0th100th
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
1st-down pass rate: 24.9% → 30.9% (+6.1 pts)
Confound, shown not hidden: only 52% of offensive production returned the year the coordinator changed — the roster turned over at the same time, not just the play-caller.
OC: Chip Lindsey / Kodi Burns (co) → Kenny Dillingham · 2019
71st pct61st pct0th100th
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
1st-down pass rate: 43.5% → 39.5% (-4.0 pts)
Confound, shown not hidden: only 42% of offensive production returned the year the coordinator changed — the roster turned over at the same time, not just the play-caller.
DC: Will Muschamp → Kevin Steele · 2016
79th pct75th pct0th100th
1-season window either side — numbers shown, not enough to badge a verdict.
Where the roster comes from, by position
Grows Punter from high school
100%
#29 of 29 stints
Grows Tight end from high school
100%
#164 of 188 stints
Postseason detail2013: Lost to Florida State 31-34 Vizio Bcs National Championship2014: Lost to Wisconsin 31-34 Outback Bowl2015: Beat Memphis 31-10 Bowl2016: Lost to Oklahoma 19-35 Allstate Sugar Bowl2017: Lost to UCF 27-34 Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl2018: Beat Purdue 63-14 Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl2019: Lost to Minnesota 24-31 Outback Bowl

36 NFL Draft picks: Greg Robinson (2014), Dee Ford (2014), Tre Mason (2014), Jay Prosch (2014), Sammie Coates (2015), Angelo Blackson (2015), Gabe Wright (2015), C.J. Uzomah (2015) + 28 more

+5.0
68-35
2009–2012
Gene Chizik Steady
Gene Chizik moved the Tigers from Power Program II to Blue Blood in 4 seasons.
2010 offense ranked in the 99th percentile nationally — elite
vs. Alabama
+6.2 pts over 4 seasons · top 11% of 3-5-season tenures (717 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Jerry Kill’s Northern Illinois run (2008–2010)

1st-best Auburn tenure of 11 by the numbers.

Followed Tommy Tuberville (1999–2008) · succeeded by Gus Malzahn (2013–2020).

System Shift, on departure
System Shift, on arrival
Season2009201020112012Trend
Record & result
Record8-514-08-53-9
PostseasonW bowlChampionW bowl—
Recruiting rank#23#6#5#11
Style — pass rate
Pass rate39.831.235.337.0
Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile
Offense71996026
Defense73511516
Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script
1st-down pass%24.824.823.034.7
Red-zone pass%34.130.432.519.0
4th-down go%opp. territory22.016.118.815.4
Where the roster comes from, by position
Grows Tight end from high school
100%
#164 of 188 stints
Grows Edge from high school
100%
#191 of 208 stints
Postseason detail2009: Beat Northwestern 38-35 Outback Bowl2010: Beat Oregon 22-19 Tostitos Bcs National Championship Game2011: Beat Virginia 43-24 Chick-fil-A BOWL

8 NFL Draft picks: Ben Tate (2010), Walter McFadden (2010), Cam Newton (2011), Nick Fairley (2011), Zach Clayton (2011), Lee Ziemba (2011), Brandon Mosley (2012), Corey Lemonier (2013)

+6.2
33-19
1999–2008
Tommy Tuberville Steady
Tommy Tuberville moved the Tigers from Power Program II to Power Program I in 10 seasons.
2004 offense ranked in the 95th percentile nationally — elite
vs. Alabama
+7.2 pts over 10 seasons · bottom 29% of 10+-season tenures (202 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Pat Narduzzi’s Pittsburgh run (2015–now)

4th-best Auburn tenure of 11 by the numbers.

Followed Terry Bowden (1993–1998) · succeeded by Gene Chizik (2009–2012).

System Shift, on departure
Season1999200020012002200320042005200620072008Trend
Record & result
Record5-69-47-59-48-513-09-311-29-45-7
Postseason—L bowlL bowlW bowlW bowlW bowlL bowlW bowlW bowl—
Recruiting rank—————#30#19#11#9#21
Style — pass rate
Pass rate—————35.841.537.539.642.1
Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile
Offense—————9568565220
Defense—————8921639084
Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script
1st-down pass%—————29.637.433.226.233.3
Red-zone pass%—————30.939.835.129.431.9
4th-down go%opp. territory—————47.625.723.125.017.1
Where the roster comes from, by position
Grows Kicker from high school
100%
#52 of 56 stints
Grows Tight end from high school
100%
#164 of 188 stints
Postseason detail2000: Lost to Florida 6-28 Bowl2000: Lost to Michigan 28-31 Bowl2001: Lost to North Carolina 10-16 Bowl2002: Beat Penn State 13-9 Capital One Bowl2003: Beat Wisconsin 28-14 Bowl2004: Beat Virginia Tech 16-13 Sugar Bowl2005: Lost to Wisconsin 10-24 Capital One Bowl2006: Beat Nebraska 17-14 Cotton Bowl At Dallas Tx2007: Beat Clemson 23-20 Bowl

36 NFL Draft picks: Marcus Washington (2000), Leonardo Carson (2000), Quinton Reese (2000), Jeno James (2000), Heath Evans (2001), Rudi Johnson (2001), Alex Lincoln (2001), Kendall Simmons (2002) + 28 more

+7.2
85-40
1993–1998
Terry Bowden Inheritor
Terry Bowden inherited the Tigers at Power Program I and saw it slip to Power Program II.
vs. Alabama
−2.1 pts over 6 seasons · bottom 36% of 6-9-season tenures (368 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Randy Walker’s Northwestern run (1999–2005)

6th-best Auburn tenure of 11 by the numbers.

Followed Pat Dye (1981–1992) · succeeded by Tommy Tuberville (1999–2008).

Season199319941995199619971998Trend
Record & result
Record11-09-1-18-48-410-31-5
Postseason——L bowlW bowlW bowl—
Recruiting rank——————
Style — pass rate
Pass rate——————
Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile
Offense——————
Defense——————
Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script
1st-down pass%——————
Red-zone pass%——————
4th-down go%opp. territory——————
Postseason detail1995: Lost to Penn State 14-43 Bowl1996: Beat Army 32-29 Bowl1997: Lost to Tennessee 29-30 Bowl1997: Beat Clemson 21-17 Bowl

13 NFL Draft picks: Wayne Gandy (1994), James Bostic (1994), Anthony Redmon (1994), Frank Sanders (1995), Mike Pelton (1995), Gary Walker (1995), Mark Smith (1997), Takeo Spikes (1998) + 5 more

−2.1
47-17-1
1981–1992
Pat Dye Builder
Pat Dye raised the Tigers from Power Program III to Power Program I.
vs. Alabama
+15.8 pts over 12 seasons · top 35% of 10+-season tenures (202 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Mark Dantonio’s Michigan State run (2007–2019)

2nd-best Auburn tenure of 11 by the numbers.

Followed Doug Barfield (1976–1980) · succeeded by Terry Bowden (1993–1998).

Season198119821983198419851986198719881989199019911992Trend
Record & result
Record5-69-311-19-48-410-29-1-210-210-28-3-15-65-5-1
Postseason—W bowlW bowlW bowlL bowlW bowlL bowlL bowlW bowlW bowl——
Recruiting rank————————————
Style — pass rate
Pass rate————————————
Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile
Offense————————————
Defense————————————
Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script
1st-down pass%————————————
Red-zone pass%————————————
4th-down go%opp. territory————————————
Postseason detail1982: Beat Boston College 33-26 Bowl1983: Beat Michigan 9-7 Bowl1984: Beat Arkansas 21-15 Bowl1985: Lost to Texas A&M 16-36 Bowl1986: Beat USC 16-7 Bowl1987: Tied Syracuse 16-16 Bowl1988: Lost to Florida State 7-13 Bowl1989: Beat Ohio State 31-14 Bowl1990: Beat Indiana 27-23 Bowl

34 NFL Draft picks: Edmund Nelson (1982), Doug Smith (1984), Donnie Humphrey (1984), Lionel James (1984), Ben Thomas (1985), Kevin Greene (1985), Gregg Carr (1985), Bo Jackson (1986) + 26 more

+15.8
99-39-4
1976–1980
Doug Barfield Steady
Doug Barfield slid Auburn from Power Program II to Power Program III in 5 seasons.
vs. Alabama
−5.9 pts over 5 seasons · bottom 31% of 3-5-season tenures (717 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Jim Strong’s UNLV run (1990–1993)

8th-best Auburn tenure of 11 by the numbers.

Followed Ralph Jordan (1951–1975) · succeeded by Pat Dye (1981–1992).

8 NFL Draft picks: Neil O'Donoghue (1977), Reese McCall (1978), William Andrews (1979), Mike Burrow (1979), Joe Cribbs (1980), James Brooks (1981), Byron Franklin (1981), Frank Warren (1981)

−5.9
27-27-1
1951–1975
Ralph Jordan Transformer
Ralph Jordan took the Tigers from Regional Program II to Power Program I.
vs. Alabama
+36.6 pts over 25 seasons · top 5% of 10+-season tenures (202 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Dabo Swinney’s Clemson run (2008–now)

5th-best Auburn tenure of 11 by the numbers.

Followed Earl Brown (1948–1950) · succeeded by Doug Barfield (1976–1980).

Season1951195219531954195519561957195819591960196119621963196419651966196719681969197019711972197319741975Trend
Record & result
Record5-52-87-3-18-38-2-17-310-09-0-17-38-26-46-3-19-26-45-5-14-66-47-48-39-29-210-16-610-23-6-2
Postseason———————————————————W bowlL bowlW bowlL bowlW bowl—
Recruiting rank—————————————————————————
Style — pass rate
Pass rate—————————————————————————
Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile
Offense—————————————————————————
Defense—————————————————————————
Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script
1st-down pass%—————————————————————————
Red-zone pass%—————————————————————————
4th-down go%opp. territory—————————————————————————
Postseason detail1970: Beat Ole Miss 35-28 Bowl1971: Lost to Oklahoma 22-40 Bowl1972: Beat Colorado 24-3 Bowl1973: Lost to Missouri 17-34 Bowl1974: Beat Texas 27-3 Bowl
+36.6
175-83-7
1948–1950
Earl Brown Steady
Earl Brown slid Auburn from National Program III to Regional Program I in 3 seasons.
vs. Alabama
−8.2 pts over 3 seasons · bottom 20% of 3-5-season tenures (717 in sample)
Closest comparable run: Danny Ford’s Arkansas run (1993–1997)

11th-best Auburn tenure of 11 by the numbers.

Followed Carl Voyles (1944–1947) · succeeded by Ralph Jordan (1951–1975).

−8.2
3-22-4
1944–1947
Carl Voyles Steady
Carl Voyles held Auburn at National Program I for 4 seasons.

10th-best Auburn tenure of 11 by the numbers.

Followed Jack Meagher (1936–1942) · succeeded by Earl Brown (1948–1950).

1936–1942
Jack Meagher Steady
Jack Meagher held Auburn at National Program I for 7 seasons.

9th-best Auburn tenure of 11 by the numbers.

Succeeded by Carl Voyles (1944–1947).