Wes McGriff’s decision to return to Auburn this offseason was a ‘no-brainer’

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For McGriff, the decision to return to Auburn was an easy one. He already had familiarity with the staff, having worked under Malzahn and defensive coordinator Kevin Steele in 2016. Defensive line coach Rodney Garner and linebackers coach Travis Williams were also on that staff before McGriff left to take the defensive coordinator role at Ole Miss before the 2017 season. While at Ole Miss, McGriff wanted the Rebels to bring on Woodson as the 10th assistant prior to last season before Woodson ultimately accepted a role coaching cornerbacks at Auburn.

As McGriff said Tuesday prior to speaking to the Dallas County Auburn Club in Selma, coaching is a fraternity — and at Auburn, there was certainly a high level of familiarity. So, after McGriff was fired at Ole Miss at the end of last regular season, it was an easy decision for the veteran assistant coach when Malzahn reached out to him about the opening on the Tigers’ staff.

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“He’s got great energy,” Malzahn said at the start of spring practice. “He relates great to players, you know, and I think that’s a key to a big-time coach. He has both those. He doesn’t have any bad days. He brings great energy and a positive attitude to every meeting and every practice. That rubs off on players, and players like to play for a guy like that.”

Fittingly, when McGriff got that call from Malzahn back in February, he was already in Auburn. Even after he left for Ole Miss, McGriff maintained his house in Auburn.

“I knew I was coming back,” McGriff joked.



When he took the job at Ole Miss, McGriff may not have expected to coach on the Plains again—but he knew he would eventually be back to the Loveliest Village. A year prior, when Malzahn first hired him ahead of the 2016 season, McGriff told his wife that he felt like he was finally home.

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That prompted another short conversation.

After years of bouncing around different cities as part of his coaching career, McGriff knew it was time to start thinking about a place to settle down when his coaching days were finally over. As he put it, he wanted his family to start thinking about a “forever home.” It didn’t take long for them to settle on Auburn as that place.

“We talked about various spots, and I looked there at my son and I said, ‘I’m going to trump both of you. We’re going to retire right here in Auburn,’” McGriff said. “And we all agreed. But it’s a great spot. So, to have an opportunity to come back is unbelievable.”

McGriff’s return to Auburn was a seamless one. He described the transition as the easiest of his coaching career, which spans 29 years and 10 different teams—with two stints each at Auburn and Ole Miss. The carryover with the coaching staff helps, certainly, as does the fact that McGriff either coached or recruited many of the players he inherited in the secondary this spring, including safeties Daniel Thomas, Jeremiah Dinson and Jamien Sherwood, as well as cornerback Javaris Davis.

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“I think it’s very important,” Malzahn said of that familiarity. “You can see it didn’t take but a day to get him back in the swing of things, and the same terminology as far as that, understanding the coaches and understanding Auburn. He knows a lot of our players; he recruited a lot of the guys too, so it was a really easy transition.”

This spring, McGriff and Woodson split duties in the secondary. One day, McGriff would handle safeties and Woodson would focus on the corners, and then others they would switch. They leaned on each other’s experience to help keep everyone on the same page and setting up the secondary to be successful this fall.

Auburn’s defensive backs found success during McGriff’s initial stint in 2016, as the Tigers were 17th nationally in passing yards allowed per attempt (6.4) — an improvement compared to the rest of the country though relatively consistent to the year prior, when Auburn was 21st at 6.3 yards allowed per pass attempt. The Tigers touted the nation’s No. 22 pass efficiency defense (116.83) while tying for sixth nationally in total passes defended (80; 69 pass breakups and 11 interceptions).

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Auburn also posted the nation’s No. 7 scoring defense (17.1 points per game) in 2016 after finishing 57th (26.0) the year prior and improved from 110th to 23rd nationally on third downs, going from opponents converting 44.95 of their third downs in 2015 to 34.83 in 2016.

While McGriff wasn’t nearly as successful during his two seasons at Ole Miss as defensive coordinator, it’s an experience he doesn’t regret — not only because it led him back to his “forever home,” but because it helped him learn more about himself as a coach.

“Sometimes you go in situations that are not so stellar and sometimes that, when you’re in those situations — you know, we’re all human — sometimes you get away from your training and you get away from who you are,” McGriff said. “That’s one thing I stressed to (the younger coaches on staff) is that regardless of what the situation may be, stay who you are. I tell them it’s a wonderful opportunity to get better experience. You really find out a lot about yourself.”

McGriff has brought those experiences back with him to Auburn — a program he lauded for its culture and just the overall happiness of the players — and he demurred when asked if he wants to be a defensive coordinator again one day, insisting that his sole focus is on this season and winning at Auburn.

“You know, Auburn’s a first-class program,” McGriff said. “It’s always been a place I wanted to coach in my coaching career. Had a chance to do it in ’16, and to have the chance to come back, it’s hard to turn down…. To be back at Auburn, and to be with those guys, Coach Steele and Malzahn, it’s a no-brainer. I’m blessed to have the opportunity and I’m looking forward to the season.”

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