Is there something up with coaches from former UNC head coach Mack Brown’s coaching tree today? Jay Bateman, who perfected his DC craft at UNC for two years, just accepted the Kentucky DC job, ditching the Texas A&M one. Now, one of Rich Rodriguez’s assistants, who was the RBs coach for UNC from 2014 to 2016, has done the same, joining an SEC team, currently in its rebuilding phase.

“Auburn is expected to hire West Virginia running backs coach Larry Porter, sources tell @CBSSports,” reported CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz on X. Notably, Porter was the assistant at Auburn for three years after his UNC stint and would rejoin his old stomping ground, navigating the Iron Bowl pressures.

Porter joined West Virginia after Rich Rodriguez was hired at the beginning of the 2025 season and has 27 years of coaching experience in his resume. Though the 53-year-old’s WVU stint is hard to gauge, considering the Mountaineers were struggling with injuries throughout the season. Still, guiding players like Diore Hubbard to 335 rushing yards counts for something.

Not just that, under him, the team accumulated 1,927 yards and 22 rushing touchdowns, and Cyncir Bowers accumulated 249 rushing yards. The Mountaineers, though, finished a disappointing 4-win season under Rich Rod’s first year, and all signs point to Porter seeking a fresh start at Auburn, where resources and elite players would be abound. Auburn’s $118.2 million annual revenue is prime evidence for that.

Additionally, Auburn still wants to get back to its winning ways and reach the glory it attained in 2010 with Cam Newton. New head coach Alex Golesh is revamping the Tigers’ staff, which includes DC DJ Durkin and OC Joel Gordon. Other hires for the team consist of names like Tyler Hudanick, who will coach the O-line, and a new GM in Andrew Warsaw.

Other figures like Kodi Burns, Golesh’s assistant at USF, will also join the team, and Brad Wilson will serve as defensive assistant. Most of the hires, though, are from Golesh’s USF staff, including the GM, Andrew Warsaw. Porter’s hire then boosts an already studded staff with dynamism and brings in a fresh approach. And the newly joined coach has every reason to succeed at Auburn.

Larry Porter is set to bring a wealth of talent to Auburn

Larry Porter’s coaching stint started back in 1998 when he joined Tennessee-Martin as their RBs coach. Ever since then, he has had several stints at programs like Arkansas State, Oklahoma State, LSU, and Memphis. Not to mention, he was the Texas RBs coach in 2013, and from then on, Mack Brown took him under his wing at UNC. The Tar Heels again came calling for him in 2021, and the Jackson, Mississippi native remained there until Bill Belichick’s hiring in December 2024. Initially, he was excited to join WVU when Rich Rod came calling.

“I figured out what I truly wanted to do, which was kind of give back to young men. Coaching was the avenue for me to give back to young men and impact their lives of young men,” said the RBs coach after joining WVU. But now, the Auburn job clearly seems to be a step up in his career, that too in the SEC, and he brings in a wealth of talent.

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The 53-year-old has also overseen the development of players like Omarion Hampton, T.J. Logan, Jacob Hester, and Charles Scott. Jacob Hester and Charles Scott became Porter’s two 1,000+ yard rushers at LSU in the SEC. Moreover, he boasts a total of six NFL draft selections from LSU from 2005 to 2009. All of it will undoubtedly come in handy when he starts to take the Tigers’ recruiting and RB room to a fresh start.

All in all, Porter’s hire looks to be the right step for Alex Golesh as the head coach prepares for a fresh start at Auburn.