Auburn has officially announced Chad Lunsford as special teams coordinator. Press release...
Former Auburn football staffer and Group of Four head coach Chad Lunsford has been named special teams coordinator at Auburn, head coach Hugh Freeze announced Friday. Lunsford spent five seasons at Auburn from 2009-13 as director of player personnel and director of scouting before nine seasons at Georgia Southern, including three as head coach.
“Chad has not only been a successful special teams coach, but has also been a college head coach and brings a lot to the table,” Freeze said. “His experience and expertise will bolster our special teams. We are happy to welcome Chad and his family back to Auburn.”
Most recently, Lunsford was an associate head coach at Florida Atlantic where he was the special teams coordinator and coached tight ends for three seasons. He joined FAU in February of 2022 and was elevated to associate head coach in January of 2023. This past season he served as interim head coach during the final two games of the season.
“My family and I are super excited to be coming back to Auburn,” Lunsford said. “We are very thankful to Coach Freeze and the Auburn family for this opportunity. We understand what an honor it is to be a part of Auburn University, the Auburn football program, and the Auburn community. We look forward to seeing old friends and making new friends back on the Plains. Auburn is a special place for us, and we are ready to get to work. War Eagle!”
Lunsford joined FAU in February of 2022 and began working with a group of tight ends that had no starts at the collegiate level. That group contributed size for a line that cleared space for the program's first 1,000-yard rusher in three seasons as well as contributing to pass protection and gathering 13 receptions.
On special teams, he mentored a group that was also new to starting nods as well as an Australian punter, who not only played his first season of American football but earned Freshman All-American recognition.
Kicker Morgan Suarez was ranked among the nation's leaders in field goal percentage, field goals per game, and points responsible for, while punter Riley Thompson ended his season providing every punt for an average of 45.4 yards, ranking second among all CUSA punters and No. 12 nationally for that average. As units, the Owls were No. 14 in kickoff return defense and No. 21 in net punting.
In 2023, the Owls were ranked No. 4 nationally in punt returns, a 28-spot leap while the kick return unit moved up 36 spots. Punt returner LaJohntay Wester's finished second nationally in punt return touchdowns and was a FWAA First Team All-American and Wester's AAC Special Team Player of the Year and First Team AAC selection.
Lunsford, who arrived at Georgia Southern in 2013 as wide receivers coach, wore many hats during his time in Statesboro before being named the 10th full-time head coach in the modern era in November 2017. As head coach, he led the Eagles to three bowl appearances - and two victories - all in his first three full seasons at the helm.
In his first full season he led the Eagles to 10 wins, a win in the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl and engineered the nation’s largest turnaround with a 7.5-game improvement. For his accomplishments, he was named the Sun Belt Coach of the Year by Southern Pigskin. Twelve of his players earned all-conference honors and he even had two All-Americans.
In year two the Eagles won six of their final eight regular season games and qualified for a bowl game. Georgia Southern finished with seven wins, a win over No. 20 Appalachian State on the road and an appearance in the FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl. In all, 10 players earned all-conference honors and two players - Kindle Vildor and Tyler Bass - were selected in the NFL Draft and Donald Rutledge Jr. signed a free agent deal with Indianapolis.
In 2020, the Eagles won eight games, including a victory over Louisiana Tech in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. Nine Eagles earned all-conference honors with two of them being named All-Americans.
After working with the wide receivers in 2013, Lunsford worked two seasons with the tight ends and served as recruiting coordinator in 2014 and 2015. In 2017, Lunsford coached the Eagle slot receivers and H-backs and served in the role of special teams coordinator, a title he added in 2016, until his promotion to interim head coach in October 2017. He was named the program’s assistant head coach in 2017.
In 2016, Lunsford was named a Broyles Award nominee, given to the nation’s top assistant coach, as the Eagles blocked seven kicks and featured a Lou Groza Award finalist in Younghoe Koo, who earned Pro Bowl honors with the Atlanta Falcons in 2020.
On the recruiting side, Lunsford helped engineer signing classes which featured 22 players and ranked in the top half of the Sun Belt in 2015, also ranked near the top of the Sun Belt in 2014 and in 2016. The Class of 2018 was rated as the best in the Sun Belt by 247Sports. He was named the Sun Belt’s Best Recruiter in 2016 by Scout.
Georgia Southern’s wide receivers in 2013 led NCAA Division I with most yards per completion, averaging 19.3 yards per catch. Fourteen catches ranked among Georgia Southern’s big plays as the Eagle receiving corps contributed to one of the nation’s top offenses.
At Auburn, Lunsford served in consecutive roles as the Tigers’ director of scouting and director of player personnel, assisting with the day-to-day operations of Auburn football, with an emphasis on recruiting, organizing and prospect evaluation.
The Tigers boasted three of the nation’s top recruiting classes in 2010, 2011 and 2012, and that success translated to the field where Auburn claimed the 2010 BCS national championship, 2010 Southeastern Conference Championship and made appearances in two other bowl games.
Lunsford coached the slotbacks in his previous three seasons (2003-05) on the Georgia Southern staff, helping the Eagles to a Southern Conference championship in 2004. After departing Georgia Southern in 2006, Lunsford spent a year at Griffin High School as a special education teacher and served as the outside linebackers coach.
Two years back at Georgia Military College followed his time at Griffin with Lunsford taking a familiar place as linebackers coach and adding responsibilities as special teams coordinator.
Lunsford played at Elbert County High School for legendary coach T. McFerrin. During his high school career, Elbert County made four-straight appearances in the state playoffs and posted a 20-3 record in his junior and senior years.
While at Georgia College as an undergraduate, he served as a student assistant with Georgia Military College, beginning his career coaching the tight ends. In February 1997, he was hired as the running backs coach and handled several of the program’s administrative areas. The Bulldogs would play in three straight Golden Isles bowl games, capture the 1998 National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) rushing title with an average of more than 300 yards per game, and bring home the 1999 Golden Isles bowl championship. Lunsford moved to the defensive side of the ball for the 2000 season and his coaching efforts helped GMC rank second nationally in total defense that year.
An opportunity to coach on the offense again prompted him to accept an assistant coaching position at Appalachian State where he would coach the tight ends for the 2001 and 2002 seasons.
A native of Elberton, Georgia, Lunsford graduated from Georgia College in May 2000 and earned a master’s degree from the United States Sports Academy in 2002.
Lunsford is married to the former Tiffany “Tippy” Hyde, and they have three children: Sophie, Rhett and Josie.
Former Auburn football staffer and Group of Four head coach Chad Lunsford has been named special teams coordinator at Auburn, head coach Hugh Freeze announced Friday. Lunsford spent five seasons at Auburn from 2009-13 as director of player personnel and director of scouting before nine seasons at Georgia Southern, including three as head coach.
“Chad has not only been a successful special teams coach, but has also been a college head coach and brings a lot to the table,” Freeze said. “His experience and expertise will bolster our special teams. We are happy to welcome Chad and his family back to Auburn.”
Most recently, Lunsford was an associate head coach at Florida Atlantic where he was the special teams coordinator and coached tight ends for three seasons. He joined FAU in February of 2022 and was elevated to associate head coach in January of 2023. This past season he served as interim head coach during the final two games of the season.
“My family and I are super excited to be coming back to Auburn,” Lunsford said. “We are very thankful to Coach Freeze and the Auburn family for this opportunity. We understand what an honor it is to be a part of Auburn University, the Auburn football program, and the Auburn community. We look forward to seeing old friends and making new friends back on the Plains. Auburn is a special place for us, and we are ready to get to work. War Eagle!”
Lunsford joined FAU in February of 2022 and began working with a group of tight ends that had no starts at the collegiate level. That group contributed size for a line that cleared space for the program's first 1,000-yard rusher in three seasons as well as contributing to pass protection and gathering 13 receptions.
On special teams, he mentored a group that was also new to starting nods as well as an Australian punter, who not only played his first season of American football but earned Freshman All-American recognition.
Kicker Morgan Suarez was ranked among the nation's leaders in field goal percentage, field goals per game, and points responsible for, while punter Riley Thompson ended his season providing every punt for an average of 45.4 yards, ranking second among all CUSA punters and No. 12 nationally for that average. As units, the Owls were No. 14 in kickoff return defense and No. 21 in net punting.
In 2023, the Owls were ranked No. 4 nationally in punt returns, a 28-spot leap while the kick return unit moved up 36 spots. Punt returner LaJohntay Wester's finished second nationally in punt return touchdowns and was a FWAA First Team All-American and Wester's AAC Special Team Player of the Year and First Team AAC selection.
Lunsford, who arrived at Georgia Southern in 2013 as wide receivers coach, wore many hats during his time in Statesboro before being named the 10th full-time head coach in the modern era in November 2017. As head coach, he led the Eagles to three bowl appearances - and two victories - all in his first three full seasons at the helm.
In his first full season he led the Eagles to 10 wins, a win in the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl and engineered the nation’s largest turnaround with a 7.5-game improvement. For his accomplishments, he was named the Sun Belt Coach of the Year by Southern Pigskin. Twelve of his players earned all-conference honors and he even had two All-Americans.
In year two the Eagles won six of their final eight regular season games and qualified for a bowl game. Georgia Southern finished with seven wins, a win over No. 20 Appalachian State on the road and an appearance in the FBC Mortgage Cure Bowl. In all, 10 players earned all-conference honors and two players - Kindle Vildor and Tyler Bass - were selected in the NFL Draft and Donald Rutledge Jr. signed a free agent deal with Indianapolis.
In 2020, the Eagles won eight games, including a victory over Louisiana Tech in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl. Nine Eagles earned all-conference honors with two of them being named All-Americans.
After working with the wide receivers in 2013, Lunsford worked two seasons with the tight ends and served as recruiting coordinator in 2014 and 2015. In 2017, Lunsford coached the Eagle slot receivers and H-backs and served in the role of special teams coordinator, a title he added in 2016, until his promotion to interim head coach in October 2017. He was named the program’s assistant head coach in 2017.
In 2016, Lunsford was named a Broyles Award nominee, given to the nation’s top assistant coach, as the Eagles blocked seven kicks and featured a Lou Groza Award finalist in Younghoe Koo, who earned Pro Bowl honors with the Atlanta Falcons in 2020.
On the recruiting side, Lunsford helped engineer signing classes which featured 22 players and ranked in the top half of the Sun Belt in 2015, also ranked near the top of the Sun Belt in 2014 and in 2016. The Class of 2018 was rated as the best in the Sun Belt by 247Sports. He was named the Sun Belt’s Best Recruiter in 2016 by Scout.
Georgia Southern’s wide receivers in 2013 led NCAA Division I with most yards per completion, averaging 19.3 yards per catch. Fourteen catches ranked among Georgia Southern’s big plays as the Eagle receiving corps contributed to one of the nation’s top offenses.
At Auburn, Lunsford served in consecutive roles as the Tigers’ director of scouting and director of player personnel, assisting with the day-to-day operations of Auburn football, with an emphasis on recruiting, organizing and prospect evaluation.
The Tigers boasted three of the nation’s top recruiting classes in 2010, 2011 and 2012, and that success translated to the field where Auburn claimed the 2010 BCS national championship, 2010 Southeastern Conference Championship and made appearances in two other bowl games.
Lunsford coached the slotbacks in his previous three seasons (2003-05) on the Georgia Southern staff, helping the Eagles to a Southern Conference championship in 2004. After departing Georgia Southern in 2006, Lunsford spent a year at Griffin High School as a special education teacher and served as the outside linebackers coach.
Two years back at Georgia Military College followed his time at Griffin with Lunsford taking a familiar place as linebackers coach and adding responsibilities as special teams coordinator.
Lunsford played at Elbert County High School for legendary coach T. McFerrin. During his high school career, Elbert County made four-straight appearances in the state playoffs and posted a 20-3 record in his junior and senior years.
While at Georgia College as an undergraduate, he served as a student assistant with Georgia Military College, beginning his career coaching the tight ends. In February 1997, he was hired as the running backs coach and handled several of the program’s administrative areas. The Bulldogs would play in three straight Golden Isles bowl games, capture the 1998 National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) rushing title with an average of more than 300 yards per game, and bring home the 1999 Golden Isles bowl championship. Lunsford moved to the defensive side of the ball for the 2000 season and his coaching efforts helped GMC rank second nationally in total defense that year.
An opportunity to coach on the offense again prompted him to accept an assistant coaching position at Appalachian State where he would coach the tight ends for the 2001 and 2002 seasons.
A native of Elberton, Georgia, Lunsford graduated from Georgia College in May 2000 and earned a master’s degree from the United States Sports Academy in 2002.
Lunsford is married to the former Tiffany “Tippy” Hyde, and they have three children: Sophie, Rhett and Josie.
