Bryan Harsin shares what’s impressed him most from revamped defensive coaching staff

Auburn has plenty of new faces on the sideline as Bryan Harsin added to his coaching staff, notably on defense. Recently, he broke down how the new coaches have impressed him so far.

Derek Mason served as the Tigers’ defensive coordinator last season, but left to take the same post at Oklahoma State. Another key assistant, defensive line coach Nick Eason, departed to coach the defensive line at Clemson, his alma mater. That meant Jeff Schmedding and Jimmy Brumbaugh came in as defensive coordinator and defensive line coach, respectively.

When speaking about the new additions to the staff, he said Brumbaugh is standing out greatly early on in spring ball.

“I sat in coach Brumbaugh’s meeting yesterday, and I told the players this, too, it was one of the best meetings I’ve been apart of,” Harsin said. “How he was teaching the guys, the information, the examples. I left that meeting room, I was very impressed with what he was teaching and the way he was teaching it.”

Brumbaugh wasn’t the only addition to the staff under Schmedding, though. Christian Robinson is the new linebackers coach and Roc Bellatoni is the edge linebackers coach and special teams coordinator. Harsin also spoke highly of those two as they make the transition.

“Coach Robinson … when I interviewed him, [I said] here’s a good, young coach,” Harsin said. “His dad’s a high school coach. He’s been around the game his whole life. You can tell when you talk to him. Awesome to be around, great energy, the players love him, recruits love him. He gets it, and he’s a guy, again, that’s going to come in, do his work and have himself prepared.

“Roc, he’s been doing this a long time, he’s got a lot of experience. That shows up in the meetings when he’s in front of the whole entire team on special teams. He’s got a great way of coaching players and getting the most out of them. A little thing today, but I told our players this, our scout team, we have guys go out there and play the scout team, they forget. They don’t show up. You’re screaming for guys, you’re trying to find them. It didn’t happen today. It’s a little thing, but I think that goes back to organization and just a coach making it important and those guys actually doing it. So it’s a small thing, but it makes a big difference.”