At last, the Auburn football program has finalized the coaching staff for the 2025 season. Several coaches left the Plains for different jobs, including former defensive coordinator Charles Kelly (head coach at Jacksonville State) and Josh Aldridge (defensive coordinator at East Carolina).
The Tigers’ former special teams coordinator, Tanner Burns, announced he would be leaving the program earlier this month to be associate head coach, special teams coordinator, and defensive analyst at Texas State. In his wake, head coach Hugh Freeze has hired Chad Lunsford as the Tigers’ new special teams coordinator.
Lunsford previously worked on the Plains from 2009-2013 as the Tigers’ Director of Scouting and Director of Player Personnel and was part of the 2010 National Championship team. His primary role was focusing on recruiting and evaluating prospects, and according to Auburn Undercover, he was credited with helping Auburn football win recruiting wars through new concepts and technology.
Following his stint on the Plains, Lunsford took a job as an assistant at Georgia Southern, and from 2013-2016 he worked with wide receivers, tight ends, and special teams. In 2017 he was promoted to the Eagles’ head coach. He finished with a 28-17 record and led his team to three bowl appearances in the postseason.
Lunsford’s next stop was at Florida Atlantic University in 2021 where he was hired to coach tight ends and special teams. In 2023, he was promoted to be the Owls’ associate head coach and special teams coordinator and served as the interim head coach in November 2024.
