The coaching staff is seemingly set for Hugh Freeze as he takes Auburn football into 2025, as the program announced the hires of both TJ Rushing and Roc Bellantoni to on-field roles Wednesday.
Rushing will be Freeze's safeties coach, replacing former safeties coach Charles Kelly, who left his post with the Tigers on Dec. 21 to replace Rich Rodriguez as Jacksonville State's head coach. Bellantoni takes over for Josh Aldridge, who was tabbed as Freeze's defensive edge coach in 2024. Aldridge left the Tigers to become East Carolina's defensive coordinator on Dec. 18.
"We're excited to move TJ back into an on-field role, as well as welcome Roc back to the Plains," Freeze said in a release. "TJ has a Super Bowl-champion pedigree and is an outstanding coach who relates very well with our players. Roc has a wealth of knowledge and experienced a lot of success in three decades of coaching at various levels during his career."
Here's a look at what should be Freeze's coaching staff for the 2025 season.
Asterisks denote new additions.
NEW HIRE: Here's three things to know about Hugh Freeze's new defensive edge coach, Roc Bellantoni
Bellantoni served as Bryan Harsin's edge rushers coach and special teams coordinator during the 2022 season. He wasn't retained on Freeze's inaugural staff, and soon after joined Tom Herman's FAU staff as defensive coordinator.
"I am so thankful to Coach Freeze for allowing me the opportunity to return to the Plains," Bellantoni said in a release. "I thoroughly enjoyed my previous time at Auburn. I am excited and can't wait to get back to work. Auburn is a special place with special people. I look forward to doing my part to help Coach Freeze succeed. I believe in Auburn and love it!"
While Bellantoni isn't joining a new program in returning to Auburn, this will be his 18th different role in a coaching career that dates back to 1993. Auburn also becomes the second school in which Bellantoni has served multiple stints years apart.
Bellantoni had previously served as the Owls' defensive coordinator between 2014 and 2016. Auburn was already the sixth school in which Bellantoni had coached multiple seasons, joining FAU, Buffalo, Villanova, Eastern Illinois and Drake.
NEW HIRE: Here's three things to know about Hugh Freeze's new safeties coach, TJ Rushing
Rushing was hired as a special assistant to the head coach in June, so this marks the second time in two offseasons that Freeze has replaced an outgoing assistant with an internal hire. He did the same when defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett left for the Jacksonville Jaguars in February 2024, promoting then-defensive line analyst Vontrell King-Williams.
"I'm very appreciative to Coach Freeze and Coach Durkin for this opportunity," Rushing said in a release. "I witnessed firsthand this past season how special Auburn is and what we are building here. I'm very familiar with Coach Durkin's defense, previously working with him at another school, and know our defensive personnel here very well. I look forward to helping us build a championship-level defense and team."
This coming season will be Rushing's 12th as a college coach. Auburn will be the sixth school Rushing has coached at since 2013, having three different stints at Arizona State, and stops at Memphis, Northern Arizona and Texas A&M.
Adam Cole is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at acole@gannett.com or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @colereporter.