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Rob Aurich will be in his first season as Nebraska’s defensive coordinator in 2026. Aurich was a nominee for the 2025 Broyles Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s best assistant coach.
Aurich has made a rapid rise up the ranks in his first 12 coaching seasons. He began his career at the Division II level, spending four seasons at Bemidji State from 2014 to 2017. Aurich then spent six seasons (2018-23) in the FCS before coaching at San Diego State in 2024 and 2025. Aurich has served as the defensive coordinator at the Division II, FCS and FBS levels and has produced a top-25 defense at each stop.
In his first year as an FBS defensive coordinator in 2025, Aurich helped the San Diego State defense post a dominant season. The Aztecs led the country with three shutouts in 2025 while holding eight of its 12 opponents to 10 or fewer points. SDSU ranked in the top 10 nationally in 10 categories while posting the fifth-best scoring defense in Mountain West history and the top scoring defense at San Diego State since 1976.
BEFORE NEBRASKA
SAN DIEGO STATE: Aurich spent two seasons at San Diego State in 2024 and 2025. He was the Aztecs’ defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2025 after coaching the defensive edges in 2024. SDSU boasted one of the nation’s top defenses in his two seasons on staff, highlighted by a historic defense in his lone season as coordinator.
In 2025, San Diego State led the country with three shutouts and held eight of its 12 opponents to 10 or fewer points, including five opponents who were held out of the end zone. The Aztecs allowed only 266.7 yards and 12.6 points per game to rank fifth nationally in scoring defense and seventh in total defense. The scoring defense was a 17 points per game improvement over 2024.
San Diego State became just the ninth team in Mountain West history to allow fewer than 270 yards per game, while the team’s scoring defense was the fifth best in conference history. In 2025, San Diego State allowed the fewest yards per game by an Aztec team since 1975 and the fewest points per game by an SDSU squad since 1976. Aurich’s unit ranked fifth in the country by allowing only 4.1 yards per play in 2025 and had the No. 2 stop rate in the nation according to ESPN. The Aztec defense also led the country in red zone defense, ranked third in defensive pass efficiency and 16th in yards allowed per carry (3.2).
San Diego State led the nation in fewest yards allowed per pass attempt and red zone defense in 2025. The Aztecs’ other top-25 national defensive rankings under Aurich’s leadership included: third in pass efficiency defense and defensive touchdowns; fifth in scoring defense, passing defense and first down defense; sixth in opponent completion percentage; seventh in total defense; 12th in third-down defense; 20th in interceptions; and 21st in rushing defense and sacks.
Individually, cornerback Chris Johnson was named the 2025 Mountain West Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Three San Diego State defenders made the All-Mountain West first team and a total of six Aztec defense players earned all-conference honors.
In his first season on staff in 2024, Aurich helped the Aztecs rank 12th nationally in defensive touchdowns and 28th in sacks per game. Aurich’s edge rushers accounted for 22 of the team’s 32 total sacks. Sophomore edge rusher Trey White was a first-team all-conference selection, an honorable-mention All-American and a member of the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List as a candidate for national defensive player of the year. White led the Mountain West in sacks (12.5) and tackles for loss (18.5).
IDAHO: Aurich was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Idaho in 2022 and 2023. Under his direction, the Vandals posted a top-25 defense each season. Idaho produced 16 wins in Aurich’s two seasons, which tied for the Vandals’ most wins in a two-year span in 30 years.
In 2023, Idaho finished with a No. 4 national ranking and an appearance in the FCS Quarterfinals, a first for the program since 1993. Idaho ranked 14th in the FCS in total defense, allowing just over 300 yards per game. The Vandals had the No. 21 pass defense, which was led by Marcus Harris, who went on to be selected in the 2025 NFL Draft.
In 2022, Idaho was one of the top defenses in the FCS. The Vandals ranked fifth in interceptions, 19th in pass defense, 23rd in pass efficiency defense and 24th in total defense and defensive touchdowns. The defense helped Idaho finish with a top-25 ranking and an appearance in the FCS playoffs.
Individually, Aurich’s defensive players combined for 12 All-Big Sky honors in his two seasons.
SOUTH DAKOTA: Aurich spent four seasons at South Dakota from 2018 to 2021, serving as the Coyotes’ special teams coordinator and linebackers coach. Twelve individuals Aurich coached earned all-conference honors in his four seasons.
Defensively, linebacker Jack Cochrane was an All-American and an Academic All-American who ended his career with 327 tackles, the sixth-highest total in school history. The play of Aurich’s linebackers helped South Dakota rank 23rd in the FCS in scoring defense in 2021, when the Coyotes hosted an FCS playoff game for the first time in program history. In 2019, Cochrane led the Missouri Valley Conference in tackles. During Aurich’s first season in 2018, Darin Greenfield was a Walter Camp FCS All-American.
Aurich also put up impressive numbers as South Dakota State’s special teams coordinator. In 2021, the Coyotes led the FCS in kickoff returns and ranked 10th in net punting and 12th in blocked punts. During the shortened Covid season in 2020-21, SDSU was second nationally in net punting and 14th in punt returns. In 2019, the Coyotes were seventh in net punting and 11th in blocked punts. Brady Schutt was a 2021 semifinalist for FCS Punter of the Year, and he finished with the best career punting average in program history (43.2).
BEMIDJI STATE: Aurich coached four seasons at Bemidji State, a Division II university in Minnesota. Aurich was the Beavers’ defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for three seasons from 2015 to 2017 after joining the staff as the linebackers and special teams coach in 2014.
In his final season as Bemidji State’s defensive coordinator in 2017, the Bengals ranked third in Division II in defensive touchdowns, fourth in opponent yards per carry, seventh in interceptions, eighth in red zone defense, ninth in opponent yards per play, 15th in tackles for loss, 17th in scoring defense, 18th in rushing defense and sacks, 22nd in takeaways and 24th in total defense.
In 2016, Bemidji State ranked seventh nationally in interceptions and his 2015 defense was 18th in rushing defense and 21st in scoring defense and TFLs. As the special teams coach in 2014, Aurich helped the Bengals rank seventh in the Division II ranks in blocked kicks, while his linebackers helped Bemidji State rank 13th in tackles for loss.
Individually, Aurich coached his defensive players to 11 first-team all-conference honors in his three seasons as defensive coordinator. Aurich produced a total of 27 defensive all-conference accolades during his time as coordinator.
PLAYING CAREER
Aurich was a standout linebacker at Minnesota Duluth from 2006 to 2010, where he was a two-time NCAA Division II national champion. Aurich recorded 310 career tackles, graduating as the program’s second-leading all-time tackler. He was a first-team All-American in 2009 when he was also the conference and region defensive player of the year. A three-time all-conference performer, Aurich was also a two-time team captain.
PERSONAL
Aurich earned his bachelor’s degree in criminology from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2010. He received his Master of Business Administration from Bemidji State in 2015. He and his wife, Sarah, have two daughters, Luelle and Isabelle, and one son, Henry.
COACHING CAREER
2026: Nebraska (Defensive Coordinator)
2025: San Diego State (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
2024: San Diego State (Defensive Edges)
2022-23: Idaho (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
2018-21: South Dakota (Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers)
2015-17: Bemidji State (Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
2014: Bemidji State (Special Teams/Linebackers)