Auburn DB coach Zac Etheridge resigns
AUBURN — Zac Etheridge will not return as defensive backs coach at Auburn. Etheridge resigned on Friday.
“I want to thank the entire Auburn family for the last three years. It’s been a dream coaching at my alma mater, but I’m excited and ready for the next chapter to further my career. I love Auburn with all my heart and have no doubt the program will flourish under Freeze’s leadership. Above all, I want to say thank you to my players. It’s truly been an honor and a blessing to develop Auburn men on and off the field while building lifelong relationships. I am and always will be an Auburn Tiger. War Damn Eagle,” Etheridge said in a statement.
“Auburn football would like to thank Zac for his contributions to the program the last three years,” Hugh Freeze said. “He played a vital role in establishing the foundation of the future. Zac is a relentless recruiter and tireless worker who has a bright future in this profession. I look forward to watching his career develop and wish him nothing but the best.”
Etheridge, a team captain on Auburn’s 2010 national championship team, just finished his second season coaching at Auburn, serving as secondary coach. Etheridge coached safeties this season while Wesley McGriff coached the cornerbacks.
McGriff, as reported, departed his on-the-field duties in the middle of the season after disagreements with defensive coordinator Ron Roberts. When that happened, Etheridge took over coaching the entire secondary for the remainder of the season, along with help from assistants Jeremiah Wilson, and Roberts helped on the back end some, too.
Etheridge came to Auburn as cornerbacks coach after spending the previous two seasons in the same capacity at the University of Houston. He was promoted to associate head coach in February 2022.
Etheridge is widely praised for his ability to recruit and recently watched as Jaylin Simpson, DJ James and Nehemiah Pritchett, all players he recruited, landed Senior Bowl invites on their way to the NFL.
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From Etheridge’s bio…
This past December he was selected to the American Football Coaches Association 2021 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute. The prestigious program is aimed at identifying and developing premier, future leaders in the football coaching profession and is part of the AFCA Convention.
At Houston, Etheridge mentored cornerbacks Marcus Jones and Damarion Williams, who thrived under his direction. Jones was named an All-American in 2020 at cornerback by Pro Football Focus (PFF) and was an All-American selection as a punt return specialist by the FWAA, CBS/247 Sports and the Phil Steele Magazine. Jones also was graded as one of the top-5 corners in 2020 by PFF. Under two seasons of Etheridge’s tutelage, Williams blossomed into an all-conference player in 2020, starting 19 consecutive games for the Cougars.
Prior to his arrival at Houston, Etheridge spent a season at the University of Louisiana, where he helped lead the Ragin Cajuns to a spot in both the Cure Bowl and the Sun Belt Conference Championship.
Zac Etheridge spent two seasons at Western Carolina from 2016-17, where he started coaching the cornerbacks in 2016 before being elevated to a full-time position as an assistant coach with his focus switching to WCU’s outside linebackers in 2017.
