Brian VanGorder

Brian VanGorder
Sport(s)	Football
Current position
Title	Defensive coordinator
Team	Auburn University
Conference	SEC West
Biographical details
Born	April 17, 1959 (1959-04-17) Jackson, Michigan
Playing career
1979–1980	Wayne State
Position(s)	Linebacker
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1981 1982–1983 1984–1987 1988 1989–1991 1992–1994 1994–1996 1996–1997 1998–1999 2000 2001–2004 2005 2006 2007 2008–2012 2012–Present	West Bloomfield HS (Asst.) Boca Raton Academy American Heritage School Boca Raton Community HS Grand Valley State (DC/LB) Wayne State Central Florida (LB/ST) Central Florida (DC) Central Michigan (DC) Western Illinois (DC) Georgia (DC) Jacksonville Jaguars (LB) Georgia Southern Atlanta Falcons (LB) Atlanta Falcons (DC) Auburn (DC)
Head coaching record
Overall	19–25
Statistics College Football Data Warehouse
Accomplishments and honors
Awards Broyles Award (2003)

Brian VanGorder (born April 17, 1959) is the current defensive coordinator of the Auburn Tigers. He previously was the head coach of Wayne State University, Georgia Southern University and has been an assistant coach at many other universities, most notably the University of Georgia. He most recently was the defensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons.

Early coaching career

VanGorder started his coaching career in 1981 as an assistant coach at West Bloomfield High School. He served as the head coach at three high schools in the state of Florida, including Boca Raton Academy (now the Boca Raton campus of Pine Crest School). VanGorder posted a record of 52–16 and was named "Coach of the Year" on seven different occasions. VanGorder's 1987 American Heritage School team was ranked No. 1 in the state of Florida. He joined the college ranks in 1989 at Grand Valley State University.

VanGorder had his first head coaching opportunity from 1992 to 1994 at his alma mater, Wayne State University. During his final two seasons as head coach, Wayne State recorded its first winning record in more than a decade, going 6–5 in each season. From 1998 to 1999, VanGorder served as the defensive coordinator at Central Michigan University, following a three-year stint at the University of Central Florida, where he spent two years coaching linebackers and special teams before being assigned to assistant head coach/defensive coordinator.

After Central Michigan, VanGorder was the defensive coordinator during the 2000 season at Western Illinois University. The Leathernecks ended the year 9–2, and finished eighth nationally in passing efficiency defense and 12th in both passing defense and total defense while allowing just 17.6 points per game.

University of Georgia

In 2001 he was hired as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the University of Georgia Bulldogs. During his first year as defensive coordinator in 2001, the Bulldogs allowed just 18.9 points per game, ended up fifth in rushing defense and ranked 17th in scoring defense. The 2002 season saw VanGorder's defense not only lead the SEC in scoring defense, but finished fourth nationally. The Bulldogs allowed less than 15 points per game during the season on their way to eventually winning the Sugar Bowl and finishing third in the final national poll. For his performance, VanGorder named as the seventh recipient of the Valvoline Southern Sports Tonight Assistant Coach of the Year.

In 2003, VanGorder's defense ranked third nationally in scoring defense, fourth in total defense and sixth in passing defense. In turn, VanGorder received the Frank Boyles "Assistant Coach of the Year" award, which honors the nation's top assistant coach. During his final season at Georgia in 2004, the 10–2 Bulldogs were ranked seventh in the final national poll as VanGorder's defense finished the season ranked eighth and ninth in scoring defense.

During his Georgia tenure, six of VanGorder's players were selected in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft, including defensive tackle Jonathan Sullivan, safety Thomas Davis and defensive end David Pollack in the first round, and safety Sean Jones and linebackers Boss Bailey, as well as Odell Thurman in the second round. During his four years at Georgia the Bulldogs defense only give up 30 points one time, against LSU in the 2003 SEC Championship Game.

Post Georgia coaching career

In 2005 VanGorder was hired as the Jacksonville Jaguars linebackers coach, and he only served one year with the Jaguars before being hired as the head coach for the Georgia Southern Eagles on December 9, 2005. VanGorder resigned after the worst season in the school's history and left for the Atlanta Falcons where he was the linebackers coach. On January 24, 2008, ESPN reported that VanGorder would join new Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith's staff as their defensive coordinator.

On January 9, 2012, VanGorder was hired by Auburn University coach Gene Chizik as defensive coordinator. He replaced Ted Roof who departed for the defensive coordinator position at UCF (and later at Penn State).

Head coaching record

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs
Wayne State Warriors (Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference) (1992–1994)
1992	Wayne State	4–7	3–7	T–7th
1993	Wayne State	6–5	5–5	T–6th
1994	Wayne State	6–5	6–4	T–4th
Wayne State:		16–17	14–16
Georgia Southern Eagles (Southern Conference) (2006)
2006	Georgia Southern	3–8	2–5	T–5th
Georgia Southern:		3–8	2–5
Total:		19–25
National championship         Conference title         Conference division title

Personal

He and his wife, Pollie, have five children: Molloy, Morgan, Mack, Montgomery and Malone.

References

Sporting positions
Preceded by Mike Zimmer	Atlanta Falcons Defensive coordinator 2008–2011	Succeeded by TBA
Preceded by Ted Roof	Auburn Tigers Defensive coordinator 2012–	Succeeded by incumbent