NC State interim DC Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay: ‘I want our guys to play fast, confident and dominant’

Ever since Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay began his coaching career in 2007, becoming NC State’s head coach was the ultimate goal. There are steps to reaching that goal, which took the former Wolfpack linebacker from the high school ranks to Division II and FCS programs before returning to Raleigh in a full-time role in 2020. 

And after five seasons as NC State’s nickels coach, Aughtry-Lindsay has his highest-profile opportunity yet: Interim defensive coordinator. 

The former Wolfpack standout took the role after Tony Gibson departed to become Marshall’s head coach over the weekend, allowing Aughtry-Lindsay an on-the-job audition for the promotion. While he aspires to earn the full-time position following the postseason, Aughtry-Lindsay isn’t too worried about that at the moment. 

Instead, he’s focused on getting the Wolfpack defense prepared to play East Carolina in the Military Bowl at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis, Md., on Dec. 28. 

Is this a chance for Aughtry-Lindsay to add his own flavor onto what Gibson built? In a way, yes, but he felt he’s already had an impact on the unit over his five seasons as a position coach. 

“I feel like my fingerprints have always been on this game plan,” Aughtry-Lindsay said Wednesday. “For this bowl game, I want our guys to play fast, confident and dominant. It’s not going to be too much change, but we’re going to make sure that we’re doing things to play that way.”

NC State coach Dave Doeren had options on his defensive staff to elevate to acting coordinator, including cornerbacks coach Brian Mitchell, who had the same role at ECU for three seasons. But Aughtry-Lindsay, a rising star in the profession, was the one to get the nod. 

“He’s had opportunities to leave here for mid-major [defensive] coordinator jobs,” Doeren said of Aughtry-Lindsay on Sunday night. “He wanted to learn, he wanted to stay and he wanted to grow. This is a great opportunity for him to show what he can do and lead our guys.”

While Aughtry-Lindsay will take over as the play-caller, former NC State linebacker Isaiah Moore will be the Pack’s interim linebackers coach for the bowl. 

The biggest change for Aughtry-Lindsay will be coaching not only his nickelbacks, but the other position coaches on staff. As a leader, Aughtry-Lindsay wants to not only help his players improve, but the assistants as well. 

It was a lesson he learned from his previous stint as a defensive coordinator as he led NC Central’s unit during the 2019 season. By doing that the staff will not only continue to take steps forward, but their bonds with Aughtry-Lindsay will grow stronger as well. 

“I have to make sure I coach the coaches just as much as I coach the players,” Aughtry-Lindsay said. “I have to hold them to a standard. But I also want to make sure that I build relationships with the coaches and give them an opportunity to have ownership in it. If everybody has ownership, from player to coach, then it makes us smoother.”

Aughtry-Lindsay said he has leaned on both Doeren and Gibson during his transition. Doeren, a former defensive coordinator at Drake, Kansas and Wisconsin, has been there for Aughtry-Lindsay during his entire tenure in Raleigh, while Gibson has given the new playcaller advice in the few days since the announcement. 

The scheme isn’t going to change much under Aughtry-Lindsay over the next month. His goals are fairly simple: make it easy for NC State’s defense to run and hit, while forcing the ECU offense to play at their will. 

“We want to dictate the offense,” Aughtry-Lindsay said. “We want to make sure we confuse the front five and never let the quarterback settle his feet. We want to be aggressive, which we have been here, so that’s nothing new. We just want guys to play fast and keep it simple.”

Aughtry-Lindsay has experience in Gibson’s 3-3-5 that he ran for the past five seasons, and that’s likely going to continue with the bowl game. But don’t count out a few tweaks or “enhancements,” as Aughtry-Lindsay referred to them. Multiple fronts could be one of those adjustments as he ran a 4-2-5 scheme at NC Central. 

But for Aughtry-Lindsay, this chance to make the defense his own is something he treats as a privilege. He spent four seasons playing in the red and white, knowing what it takes to live up to the standard at NC State. Now, it’s his time to do it again, leading the entire defense into the Wolfpack’s fifth straight bowl appearance. 

“I truly believe that God gives you the desires of your heart,” Aughtry-Lindsay said. “I’ve always wanted to be a head coach. I put it on my heart that I want to be the head coach here one day, but it takes steps.”

“I’m here where I’m at now because of that.”