Auburn is expected to hire D.J. Durkin as its new defensive coordinator according to several reports. Multiple Auburn discussed the anticipated hire with AL.com, as well.

Below is a timeline of Durkin’s coaching career, and the tragedy he oversaw as the head coach at Maryland, before arriving on the Plains.

2001–2002 Bowling Green graduate assistant

Durkin attended Bowling Green where he played wide receiver and linebacker. He then took a graduate assistant position under then-head coach Urban Meyer.

2003–2004 Notre Dame graduate assistant

2005 Bowling Green defensive ends coach

2006 Bowling Green linebackers and special teams coach

2007–2009 Stanford defensive ends and special teams coach

Durkin was on then-head coach Jim Harbaugh’s first staff at Stanford.

2010–2012 Florida linebackers and special teams coach

Meyer brought Durkin with him to his staff at Florida. Rivals deemed Durkin its 2012 national recruiter of the year.

2013–2014 Florida defensive coordinator and linebackers coach

Durkin was promoted to defensive coordinator under new Florida head coach Will Muschamp.

2014 Florida interim head coach

Durkin coaches Florida’s Birmingham Bowl appearance after Muschamp resigned as head coach.

2015 Michigan defensive coordinator and linebackers coach

Florida hired Jim McElwain as its next coach and Harbaugh brought Durkin to his staff at Michigan.

2016–2018 Maryland head coach

At Maryland, Durkin received his first head coaching position. He brought Maryland to the Quick Lane Bowl in his first season.

On May 29, 2018, Maryland offensive lineman Jordan McNair “showed signs of extreme exhaustion” during a workout running 110-yard sprints. McNair collapsed during the workout which began at 4:15 p.m., but wasn’t admitted to the hospital until 6:36 p.m.

Maryland didn’t reveal McNair was in the hospital until June 4, 2018. McNair died on June 13, 2018.

At a news conference the next day after McNair’s death, Durkin said his “heart is broken.”

On July 16, 2018, Maryland announced Durkin was present at the workout where McNair collapsed. Less than a month later, ESPN reported a “toxic culture” inside the Maryland football program.

Durkin was placed on administrative leave the day after the ESPN story. So were two trainers: Steve Nordwall and Wes Robinson.

Then-Maryland president Wallach Loh held an August 2018 press conference to announce the school had “moral and legal responsibility” for McNair’s death. Maryland also announced its head strength coach would resign during that press conference.

On Aug. 17, 2018, three days after Loh’s press conference, Maryland’s Board of Regents took control of what had previously been an external investigation into the program.

On Sept. 21, 2018, Maryland announced “several” mistakes made in the McNair’s treatment. But on Oct. 25, 2018, the Washington Post obtained a copy of Maryland’s investigation into the culture of the program which cited “problems but stops short of ‘toxic’ label.”

By the end of October, Loh announced Durkin had been re-instated after an 80-day paid administrative leave based on a decision by Maryland’s board following the release of its report. Then-Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan opposed the decision.

Durkin was fired on Halloween 2018, the day after he was re-instated. Loh announced he would retire, though his retirement was pushed back to 2020. Damon Evans, who was appointed Maryland’s full-time athletic director in July 2018, remains in his position.

More than two years later, Maryland and the McNair family settled a lawsuit where McNair’s parents received $3.5 million.

“How was I so trusting of these coaches who sat at our table before signing day promising to treat him as one of their own?” Jordan McNair’s father Marty McNair wrote in his book, “Can My Child Play?” “These same coaches who didn’t have the integrity to call us and tell us Jordan got hurt on the first day of conditioning drills. The same coach that didn’t ride in the ambulance to the hospital with our son, after promising us that he’d protect him.”

2019 Atlanta Falcons consultant

Less than a year after he was fired at Maryland, the Atlanta Falcons hired Durkin as a “guest coach” during its 2019 training camp. Durkin was with the Falcons for only 10 days.

“Unfortunate situation? Of course,” then-Falcons head coach Dan Quinn said. “But as far as eyes to look at the defense, the special teams, to help us, I definitely knew the advantage of that.”

2020–2021 Ole Miss co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach

Lane Kiffin gave Durkin his first full-time coaching opportunity after the tragedy. Ole Miss’ defense was ranked No. 118 in 2020 and No. 51 in 2021.

2022–2023 Texas A&M defensive coordinator and linebackers coach

Durkin then went to College Station with Jimbo Fisher where his defense regressed from being ranked No. 25 in 2022 to No. 36 in 2023.

2024–present Auburn co-defensive coordinator

Durkin is expected to be the co-defensive coordinator at Auburn along with previous hire Charles Kelly. Former defensive coordinator Ron Roberts previously left for Florida, which also opened up his position role coaching jack linebackers, a similar position to a pass-rushing outside linebacker. Durkin would fill that role while Kelly takes the place of Zac Etheridge’s secondary coach spot after Etheridge’s January resignation.

Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at [email protected]