Philip Montgomery announced as Auburn's new offensive coordinator

Special release from Auburn Athletics

AUBURN — Philip Montgomery, who was the University of Tulsa head coach for the last eight seasons, has been named offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Auburn, head coach Hugh Freeze announced Wednesday. 

Considered one of the brightest offensive minds in college football, Montgomery also spent five years at the University of Houston and seven at Baylor University, helping with several high-powered offenses during his tenure at both schools.

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A 20-year coaching veteran at the collegiate level, Montgomery has tutored several award-winning quarterbacks, including Big 12 Player of the Year Bryce Petty, Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III, Baylor All-American Nick Florence, Conference USA MVP Kevin Kolb and Houston standout Case Keenum.

“Philip is one of the brightest offensive minds in college football and has had experience developing and coaching some great quarterbacks in the last 20 years, including a Heisman Trophy winner in Robert Griffin III,” Freeze said. “He does a tremendous job schematically and has had success being multifaceted in both the running and passing games.  I’ve known Philip for a long time and am excited to finally work with him.”

In eight seasons as head coach at Tulsa, Montgomery led the program to four bowl games, including a 10-3 record in 2016 and back-to-back bowl appearances in 2020 and 2021. During his tenure, he coached 44 all-conference performers and three All-Americans. 

The 2020 and 2021 seasons marked the first time since 1993 and ’94 that a Tulsa coach has had back-to-back NFL draft picks and in 2020 he became the first coach in school history to defeat two Top 20 teams in the same season – No. 11 UCF and No. 19 SMU.

“I have been fortunate to work with several great offensive coaches in my career and can’t wait to work with another in Coach Freeze,” Montgomery said. “We want to bring an exciting, up-tempo offense back to Auburn. This is a tremendous football school with a history of some of the greatest talents to play the game. Our goal is to add to that tradition and help restore Auburn football to a championship caliber level.”

Montgomery’s 2021 team posted a 7-6 record against a schedule that featured four teams that finished the season among the final Associated Press Top 25 poll and ended the season by winning the Myrtle Beach Bowl.

In 2020, he led Tulsa to an undefeated 6-0 regular season conference record, an appearance in the AAC Championship Game against No. 6-ranked Cincinnati and a return to a bowl game.

Montgomery brought excitement back to Tulsa with his potent offensive style in his first year, transforming a previous two-win team into a squad that won six games in 2015 and led his first two teams to consecutive bowl game appearances.

In year one, Tulsa ranked among the nation’s leaders the entire season for passing, scoring and total offense, while appearing in the 2015 Camping World Independence Bowl. Tulsa completed the 2015 season ranked 11th nationally in passing, 13th in total offense and 21st in scoring.

Montgomery’s second team took a giant leap by posting a 10-3 record, finishing in second place in the American Athletic Conference West Division and claiming a 55-10 victory over Central Michigan in the 2016 Miami Beach Bowl. The 2016 Tulsa squad finished the season fourth nationally in total offense (527.0), seventh in scoring offense (42.5), eighth in rushing offense (261.7) and 30th in the country in passing (265.3). 

Tulsa’s offense also established an NCAA record in 2016, becoming the first team in FBS/DI history with a 3,000-yard passer (Dane Evans), two 1,000-yard rushers (James Flanders and D’Angelo Brewer) and two 1,000-yard receivers (Keevan Lucas and Josh Atkinson).

Tulsa established 11 individual school records on offense in 2016, including nine career records, one single-season and one single-game record. It was also an offense that set a school record with eight 300+ rushing games.  Quarterback Dane Evans completed his career in 2016 as the school’s all-time passing, total offense and TD passes leader under Montgomery’s tutelage.

The Hurricane fielded a young squad, both offensively and defensively, during the 2017 campaign and suffered setbacks against three Top 25 teams, while also losing two games on last-second field goals. Tulsa’s offense finished the 2017 campaign ranked 14th nationally in rushing with a 247.3 average per game, while D’Angelo Brewer became the school’s and AAC’s all-time rushing leader.

The 2020 season saw the Hurricane play in its first AAC Championship Game in the school’s first seven seasons as a league member. Tulsa defeated two nationally ranked opponents for the first time in school history and the play of Zaven Collins propelled him into being honored as a consensus All-American and the national defensive player of the year, winning both the Chuck Bednarik and Bronko Nagurski Trophies.

In his tenure as a collegiate coach, Tulsa’s 2021 season marked the 13th time that Montgomery helped take a team to a bowl game when the Hurricane appeared in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl.

Before coming to Tulsa, Montgomery logged nearly two decades of coaching experience, including seven seasons (2008-14) at Baylor University, where he served as the offensive coordinator in his final four years for the Big 12 powerhouse. The Bears posted 10 or more wins in three of his last four seasons, including 11 victories in each of his last two years there. In 2014, Baylor produced an 11-1 record and ranked as high as No. 4 in the Associated Press poll.

An Eastland, Texas native, Montgomery jumped from the high school level to the collegiate ranks in 2003 when he became the running backs and quarterback coach at the University of Houston. He then moved with head coach Art Briles to Baylor in 2008.

Following Baylor’s record-breaking 2013 Big 12 championship season, Montgomery was honored as the Offensive Coordinator of the Year by FootballScoop.com and was named a finalist for the Broyles Award. In 2011, Montgomery was selected as the National Offensive Coordinator of the Year by Rivals.com and was named Quarterback Coach of the Year by FootballScoop.com.

Montgomery called plays for an offense ranked among the nation’s top two in each of his final four seasons at Baylor. In 2014, Baylor’s 581.3 yards per game and 48.8 points led the nation, while the Bears also led the nation in total offense in 2013 (618.8) and ranked second in 2012 (572.2) and 2011 (587.1).

For three straight seasons at Baylor, each with a different quarterback, Montgomery’s pupils earned All-America honors. In 2013, Petty joined the list after throwing for 4,200 yards and 32 TDs. He finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting and was named the unanimous Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. In 2012, Florence threw for a school-record 4,309 yards and was named an honorable mention All-American by Sports Illustrated.

As backfield coach in 2011 Montgomery coached two All-Americans on an offense that set or tied 101 school records. The Bears completed that season with a 10-3 record and finished ranked 12th (Coaches) and 13th (AP) in the national polls.

In 2010, Griffin III set or tied 11 school records, including the then single season passing mark with 3,501 yards. In all, Montgomery assisted a Baylor offense that established 55 school records and ranked 13th nationally (475.3) that season.

Montgomery coached a 2008 Baylor backfield that was as productive as any BU offense in more than a decade. The Bears’ total points (28.0), rushing yards (2,349) and rushing TDs (29) were the most since 1994, and the total offense average (376.4) was the highest since 1995. Griffin, who threw for 2,091 yards, rushed for 843 and accounted for 28 TDs in 2008, earned Freshman All-America honors under Montgomery’s tutelage.

Montgomery arrived at Baylor following five seasons coaching the offensive backfield at Houston, serving as co-offensive coordinator in 2006 and 2007. During his Houston tenure, the Cougar offense ranked as one of the nation’s most prolific. In the 2007 regular season, Houston ranked fourth nationally in total offense (513.1), 10th in rushing offense (239.9), 17th in scoring offense (36.3) and 27th in passing offense (273.2).

Prior to joining the Cougars’ coaching staff, Montgomery served one year as the offensive coordinator at Denton (Texas) High School and helped that team compile a 10-2 record and the 2002 bi-district crown. Before that, Montgomery was the quarterback and backfield coach at Stephenville (Texas) High School for six seasons. He was an integral part of a program that won back-to-back Class 4A Division II state championships in 1998 and 1999.

A four-year letterman at Tarleton State, Montgomery began his coaching career as a student assistant at his alma mater, as he worked with the running backs and served as the summer weight room coordinator for two seasons.

Montgomery received his bachelor’s degree in exercise and sports studies from Tarleton State in 1995. He and his wife, Ashli, have two children: Cannon and Maci.