Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers have promoted from within as well as hired a former FAU linebackers coach.

Auburn football announced the hires of TJ Rushing and Roc Bellantoni on Wednesday, finalizing Hugh Freeze's staff for 2025.

T.J. Rushing (safeties) and Roc Bellantoni (outside linebackers) are the two new defensive assistants, but Bellantoni held the same role with the Tigers in 2022 and Rushing spent the 2024 season as a special assistant to the head coach at Auburn.

Auburn Tigers fans aren't likely to be surprised to find head coach Hugh Freeze needs to show significant improvement in 2025.

Roc Bellantoni, who was a defensive assistant on Bryan Harsin's Auburn football staff, will return to the Plains in 2025 as Hugh Freeze's defensive edge coach.

Auburn has hired 2 new defensive assistant coaches as the Tigers look to make progress on that end of the field in 2025.

ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum believes the Auburn Tigers transfer portal spending spree must work out - or else head coach Hugh Freeze will be moving on.

TJ Rushing was officially announced to his new role on Hugh Freeze's Auburn football staff on Wednesday. Here's three things to know about him.

Under Bellantoni, FAU ranked 13th nationally in tackles for loss in 2023. During his previous stint at Auburn, he coached players like 2022 first-team All-SEC selection and 2023 Seattle Seahawks second-round draft pick Derick Hall.