According to a copy of the contract that AL.com was able to obtain through a public records request, Auburn defensive coordinator DJ Durkin has been given a one-year contract extension in addition to a compensation increase. Durkin’s original 2024 contract was originally scheduled to expire in 2026, but it will now extend into 2027. Additionally, the basic salary for the defensive coordinator in his second year increased to $2.5 million, more than double his 2024 salary of $1.2 million and greatly above the $1.4 million that his previous contract called for him to earn in 2025.
He is on course to earn $2.7 million in 2026 and $2.9 million in 2027 thanks to his new contract, which also includes a $200,000 raise per season. With the new contract, he is now one of the highest-paid college football coaches. Jim Knowles, the new defensive coordinator at Penn State, is the highest-paid at $3.1 million annually. Last season, Durkin guided Auburn to one of the nation’s best defences, ranking 28th in terms of points and 31st in terms of yards per game. Before moving to the plains, he served as defensive coordinator at Texas A&M and Ole Miss.
Durkin also briefly served as head coach of Maryland in 2016 and 2017, however his tenure was marred by scandal after Maryland offensive lineman Jordan McNair passed away.After suffering from heat stroke and collapsing during an exercise, McNair passed away two weeks later. Following McNair’s death, Durkin was first suspended before being restored and then relieved a day later due to public criticism.
This offseason, Auburn’s defensive staff gained two new on-field coaches: Roc Bellantoni, who instructs outside linebackers, and TJ Rushing, who coaches safeties. Rushing took over for Charles Kelly, the current head coach of Jacksonville State and former safeties coach and co-defensive coordinator. Josh Aldridge, who was hired to be East Carolina’s defensive coordinator, was replaced by Bellantoni.
Leave a Reply