Auburn defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding will not be retained
New Auburn coach Hugh Freeze will not retain defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding after two full seasons on staff, Auburn Live’s Justin Hokanson has learned.
Schmedding has been let go effective immediately.
Schmedding became the Tigers’ defensive coordinator after serving a full year as the linebacker coach. He was promoted after the 2021 season by then head coach Bryan Harsin.
Schmedding’s football career as a player and coach
Schmedding began his coaching career as a grad assistant coach at his alma mater, FCS Eastern Washington. He coached special teams, safeties, and linebackers before becoming the defensive coordinator for Eastern Washington in 2015. He was there from 2015 to 2018.
In 2019, Schmedding was hired by Bryan Harsin as the defensive coordinator at Boise State.
In 2021, when Harsin left Boise State to be the head coach at Auburn, he hired Schmedding to coach linebackers. Schmedding was then named Auburn’s defensive coordinator following the departure of Derek Mason. Schmedding also served as Auburn’s assistant head coach at one time.
Recruiting under Schmedding
In one season as Auburn’s linebacker coach, Schmedding played a big part in landing two backers to the class of 2022: Powell Gordon, an Auburn high stand out, and Robert Woodyard, a late flip from Alabama.
The current 2023 class does not currently have any linebackers committed, but Schmedding has had a hand in helping to recruit seven defensive commits.
Auburn defensive coordinator job open
Auburn is now in the market for a defensive coordinator. The Tigers, now under the direction of Hugh Freeze, will more than likely move quickly to have a coordinator in place on both sides of the ball.
