Hugh Freeze and Auburn are one step closer to fully assembling the Tigers’ coaching staff for the 2024 season as the program announced the hiring of former Ole Miss associate head coach, wide receivers coach and running backs coach Derrick Nix.
Nix will be coming to The Plains to serve as Auburn’s offensive coordinator and running backs coach, the program announced Wednesday.
“I’m really excited to reunite with Derrick here at Auburn,” Freeze said in a release. “He is an outstanding recruiter and coach who has nearly two decades of experience in the Southeastern Conference. Derrick knows the level of excellence required to be successful in this league and I know he’s looking forward to the opportunity to help develop a winning program at Auburn.”
Wednesday’s announcement of Nix’s addition comes 12 days after the program announced the firing of Philip Montgomery, who served as the Tigers’ offensive coordinator last season.
The announcement of Nix’s hiring also comes six days after former Auburn running backs coach and associate head coach Carnell “Cadillac” Williams announced his resignation.
And considering the countless struggles of Auburn’s offense in 2023, it’s likely few Tigers fans flinched when news of Montgomery’s firing surfaced. The news of Williams’ departure on the other hand? That stung Auburn fans for some time considering the former Auburn running back’s legacy on The Plains.
But now the Tigers have Nix, who is set to serve as Auburn’s offensive coordinator and running backs coach.
And while that might feel like a mere consolation prize to some as Tigers’ fans continue to grapple with the emotional battle that comes with Williams’ decision to part ways with his alma mater, there are reasons to believe the hiring of Nix is a good thing for the Auburn program.
Here are a few of those reasons:
Hugh Freeze and Derrick Nix have history
When Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze took the reins of the Ole Miss football program as head coach in 2012, he made the decision to retain Nix, who had been the Rebels’ running backs coach since 2008.
“Derrick’s abilities as a coach and recruiter are tremendous, and his obvious familiarity with our players is a huge plus for the staff,” Freeze said of keeping Nix on staff in 2012. “Derrick is very well respected around the state. He and I share the same core values, and I’m excited to work with him.”
For the entirety of Freeze’s five seasons in Oxford, Nix was right there with him as the Rebels went a combined 39-25 under Freeze, including back-to-back nine-win regular seasons for the first time since 1962 and four straight bowl appearances for the first time since 1971.
What that means is Freeze and Nix are already familiar with one another’s coaching styles and personalities.
And that’s not to say there were issues meshing coaching styles and personalities with Freeze and his recently departed assistants. But as with anything, there’s comfort in familiarity.
“I’m very excited for this opportunity at Auburn and to get back on staff with Coach Freeze. Having worked with him before, I have a strong understanding of what he wants offensively as well as culture wise,” Nix said in a release. “Fundamentally, we want to be a fast, physical and fearless offensive scoring unit. I’m also looking forward to rejoining Coach Austin after working with him at Ole Miss for two years
Derrick Nix is a proven recruiter
One of the biggest reasons Freeze hired recently fired offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery was so Montgomery could focus on game planning and play-calling, while Freeze spent more time on the recruiting trail.
But only half of that bargain worked in 2023 as Freeze and the Tigers landed the seventh-ranked recruiting class in the 2024 cycle. However, it came at the expense of Auburn’s offense struggling.
And while that might’ve been a price Freeze was willing to pay in Season 1, he wasn’t going to be as generous in Season 2 and instead plans on taking over the offensive play-calling next season, ESPN’s Chris Low reported Jan. 9.
And that’s where Nix comes in.
While Freeze returns his focus to what led to his ascension in the college football world, Nix will likely be asked to pick up the slack on the recruiting trail.
During Nix’s time in the college ranks, he has served as the primary recruiter for three 5-star prospects — including Ole Miss linebacker Suntarine Perkins, who ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the state of Mississippi and the third-rated linebacker in the country in the 2023 class.
Nix has also had a hand in landing 22 4-star prospects during his time with the Rebels as he recruited positions ranging from running backs and offensive linemen to defensive linemen and defensive backs.
Nix has been a leading recruiter in the state of Mississippi for years and will likely continue to dip into the Magnolia State to help Auburn land top talent.
Derrick Nix is an all-around offensive coach
In his 16 years at Ole Miss, Nix has worn a couple different hats — first as the Rebels’ running backs coach, followed by serving as the Rebels’ wide receivers coach.
Nix’s first 12 years with the Rebels were spent serving as Ole Miss’ running backs coach. With Nix overseeing the Rebels’ backfield, Ole Miss saw some of the most productive running backs comes through Oxford in guys like Brandon Bolden, Jaylen Walton, Dexter McCluster and Jordan Phillips — all of who rank inside the top-12 of all-time leading rushers at Ole Miss.
Ole Miss’ rush attack also ranked inside the top-three of the SEC three times under Nix’s tutelage.
Come the 2020 season, Nix transitioned to the role of the Rebels’ wide receivers coach and immediately helped produce an all-American receiver in Elijah Moore, who led the nation in receiving yards per game, receptions per game and was named a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, which is given to the best receiver in college football.
In 2021, Nix mentored Dontario Drummond, who became Ole Miss’ sixth ever receiver to notch a 1,000-yard season.
When Nix arrives to Auburn, his primary role will be coaching the Tigers’ running back room. However, thanks to his four years of experience as Ole Miss’ wide receivers coach, Nix could have a hand in assisting Auburn wide receiver coach Marcus Davis, who just saw the Tigers’ room of receivers get a massive boost in the signing of four blue-chip receivers.
Leave a Reply