Former Hugh Freeze assistant Derrick Nix is coming to Auburn as the Tigers’ new offensive coordinator, as announced initially not by Auburn, but instead from an Ole Miss press release.

The statement from the Rebels notes that Nix will call plays for Auburn, the first time he will do so in his career. That wording matters because Nix’s Ole Miss contract included a buyout should he leave for an offensive coordinator job without playcalling duties.

Auburn has not announced the hire itself as of 8:30 a.m. Wednesday morning.

It had previously been reported that Freeze would take on playcalling duties and a larger role in the offense heading into the 2024 season. Exactly how that balance will occur remains unclear.

Nix will likely take on the role of running backs coach as well following the resignation of former coach Carnell “Cadillac” Williams last week. Nix coached the running backs at Ole Miss when Freeze was the head coach.

Nix was the wide receivers coach and associate head coach in Oxford before leaving for Auburn. He had been at Ole Miss since 2008 in various positions including running backs coach, wide receivers coach and associate head coach.

Nix was the running backs coach during Freeze’s tenure as Ole Miss head coach from 2012-2016. He was reportedly a candidate for the offensive coordinator job when Freeze was initially hired at Auburn, but Freeze elected to go with former Tulsa head coach Philip Montgomery.

The plan with Montgomery would be to get a coach with more experience running an offense so Freeze could spend much more of his time and energy focusing on recruiting. Nix wouldn’t have fit that role, having never been an offensive coordinator before.

But the Montgomery hire didn’t work. Auburn’s passing offense was in the bottom 10 nationally for passing yards per game in 2023. Auburn fired Montgomery on Jan. 5.

Soon after Montgomery’s firing, it was reported Freeze wanted to change course and take on a much larger role in play-calling and running Auburn’s offense with the roster he has presently instead of going out to recruit the next one.

247Sports previously reported Freeze would promote special assistant to the head coach Kent Austin to become Auburn’s new quarterbacks coach in a corresponding move to Freeze becoming essentially in charge of the offense. Montgomery had been the QBs coach while also serving as offensive coordinator.

Auburn has not yet announced if Austin will take on the quarterback coaching duties.

In his running backs and wide receiver coach rules, Nix has helped produce some of the better offensive players in the SEC including wide receiver Elijah Moore as well as running backs Dexter McCluster, Brandon Bolden, Jaylen Walton, Jordan Wilkins and Scottie Phillips. According to his bio on Ole Miss’ athletics website, Nix’s Ole Miss running backs groups were among the top three in the SEC in rushing three times.

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