Auburn football staff news: Russell out as S&C coach
ByPhillip Marshall 13 minutes ago
AUBURN, Alabama - Ryan Russell, Auburn’s director of strength and conditioning, has been told there will not be a place for him on Harsin’s staff, Auburn Undercover has learned. The news was not delivered by first-year coach Bryan Harsin, but by Marci Girton, the athletic department’s chief operating officer.
Russell, highly respected among strength and conditioning coaches nationally, took over as the leader of Auburn's strength and conditioning program in 2013. He replaced Kevin Yoxall.
From 2010-11, Russell served as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Auburn, working with the football program. He was also football's director of sports nutrition. He was the head strength and conditioning coach at Arkansas State in 2012. He was an associate strength and conditioning coach for the Boise State football team from 2007-09. He served professional internships as a strength and conditioning coach at Pitt (2005) and Louisville (2004-05) before moving to Auburn as a graduate assistant coach in 2005-06.
Russell played professional football in the Arena Football League for the Las Vegas Gladiators and the Louisville Fire in 2003.
Russell received his bachelor's degree in exercise science from West Liberty State in 2003. He played wide receiver for West Liberty State from 2000-02, receiving all-conference honors all three years. He earned his master's degree in adult education from Auburn in December 2006. He holds a number of professional certifications and awards.
BRETT WHITESIDE FIREDBrett Whiteside, Auburn’s director of football operations and administration, has been fired. A Southside, Ala., native, Whiteside followed Malzahn from Arkansas State to Auburn in 2013.
Whiteside served as a student recruiting operations assistant at Auburn from 2007-2011. When Gus Malzahn, the offensive coordinator from 2009-2011, left to be the head coach at Arkansas State, Whiteside went with him as director of player personnel. He earned his degree from Arkansas State in 2012.
LATEST ON DELL MCGEERumors continue to swirl about Auburn and Georgia running backs coach Dell McGee. A former Auburn defensive back, McGee is widely viewed as one of Georgia’s top recruiters. Is he on his way to Auburn? If he is, we have no confirmation.
After a highly successful career as a high school coach in Columbus, Ga., McGee became an Auburn analyst in 2013. He coached running backs at Georgia Southern in 2014-2015 before moving to Georgia to join Kirby Smart’s first staff in 2016.
OFFICES CLEANED OUTMost of Auburn’s assistant coaches have cleaned out their offices, but as of Monday afternoon, none had met with Harsin to discuss their futures. They were not told to clean out their offices, but most did before leaving for last Friday’s Citrus Bowl.
Sources tell Auburn Undercover that the staff members most likely to be retained are linebackers coach Travis Williams and running backs coach Carnell Williams, though there is no indication either of them has received any word from Harsin.
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/Article/Auburn-football-staff-news-Russell-out-as-SC-coach-158533750/