BY James Crepea
jcrepea@al.com
AL.com
Auburn offensive line coach J.B. Grimes is leaving after three seasons to take the same position at Cincinnati, a source told AL.com Monday morning.
Grimes was not officially offered the job on former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville’s staff in Cincinnati until this morning, according to the source. The two met for a two-hour interview at the annual American Football Coaches Association Convention in San Antonio on Sunday.
Grimes’ son, Nick, is a graduate assistant coaching tight ends at Cincinnati, which recently hired Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Zac Taylor, according to multiple reports.
“I want to thank J.B. Grimes for his hard work and dedication the last three years at Auburn,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said in a release. “He is a true professional and a big-time coach. We wish him and his family nothing but the best with his new job.”
Auburn’s offensive line has flourished under Grimes’ leadership, helping lead one of the SEC’s top rushing attacks over the last three seasons. Auburn was the first team in SEC history to lead the nation in rushing in 2013 and has been in the top four of the conference in fewest sacks allowed in each of the last three years.
Grimes was paid $370,000 per year at Auburn, ninth among offensive line coaches at the 13 public schools in the SEC.
He agreed in March to a contract extension through June 2017, according to paperwork obtained by AL.com.
Cincinnati offensive line coach Darren Hiller earned $180,000 this year, according to USA Today.
The Arkansas native battled cancer and is back home today to face Arkansas, the team standing in the way of a three-game winning streak for Auburn.
Grimes coached four seasons under Malzahn beginning in 2012 at Arkansas State and followed him to Auburn, where he helped develop Greg Robinson into the second-overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.
Center Reese Dismukes won the Rimington Trophy in 2014 and early entrant Shon Coleman could be picked in the early rounds of the upcoming draft.
Right tackle Avery Young has not yet announced whether he will forgo his senior season, but he, too, could be drafted in April.
Grimes had a cancer scare before the 2015 season and underwent surgery to remove a cancerous spot on his tongue in late July. Doctors also removed his lymph nodes as a precautionary measure.
A heavily bandaged Grimes returned to the practice field six days later to conduct drills with his offensive line in early August.
“J.B.’s probably the toughest coach in college football,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said at the time.
Potential candidates to replace Grimes, the first change to Auburn’s offensive coaching staff in Malzahn’s tenure as head coach, include Penn State offensive line coach Herb Hand, who is close friends with Malzahn, and Arkansas State offensive line coach Glen Elarbee.
Malzahn and Hand designed offenses together as co-coordinators at Tulsa, during which the Golden Hurricane led the nation in offense in both 2007 and 2008.
Hand is credited with implementing zone-read concepts with Malzahn’s Hurry-Up, No-Huddle offense.
Grimes is the fourth assistant coach to leave Auburn this off-season.
Will Muschamp left his role as defensive coordinator to become head coach of South Carolina last month and defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson and outside linebackers coach Lance Thompson joined his staff along with analysts Bobby Bentley and Kyle Krantz.
Malzahn hired Kevin Steele as defensive coordinator last month and brought in former New Orleans Saints secondary coach Wesley McGriff to be co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach and promoted defensive analyst Travis Williams to linebackers coach on Thursday.
– Brandon Marcello contributed to this report.
