Auburn Hiring Derek Mason As Defensive Coordinator, Mike Bobo As Offensive Coordinator

Bryan Harsin continues to assemble his new staff at Auburn. He has now added a defensive coordinator, offensive coordinator and offensive line coach.

We will start with the defensive play-caller. After multiple seasons with Kevin Steele, the Tigers have chosen to go in a different direction with former Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason. Matt Zenitz of AL.com was the first to break the news via Twitter.

Sources: Auburn is hiring former Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason as its defensive coordinator. Should be finalized in the near future.

Multiple schools had been pursuing him for defensive coordinator jobs. Auburn is the one to ultimately land him. https://t.co/LqbofHJreW

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 7, 2021

Prior to his arrival in Nashville in 2014, Mason was a standout defensive coordinator at Stanford. His defenses from 2012-13 both ranked in the top 20 in total defense and right around the top 10 in scoring defense.

It isn’t just Mason who will be arriving on The Plains, however.

Auburn is also hiring South Carolina offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, as well as the Gamecocks’ offensive line coach Will Friend. Cole Cubelic of the SEC Network and co-host of 3-Man Front was one of the first to report that news.

Auburn will finalize Mike Bobo as the offensive coordinator & Will Friend as the offensive line coach very soon.

— Cole Cubelic (@colecubelic) January 7, 2021

Both coaches were expected to be on new head coach Shane Beamer’s staff in Columbia, but it looks like there has been a last-second change of plans. Considering the Board of Trustees at South Carolina just approved their contracts on Monday, the move might not go over well.

ESPN is also reporting that Boise State defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding will also be joining Harsin in Auburn. He is expected to coach the linebackers with a potential co-defensive coordinator title.

Follow Clint Lamb on Twitter @ClintRLamb.