AUBURN — Auburn football will pay new defensive coordinator DJ Durkin $1.2 million in Year 1, according to a copy of his contract obtained by the Montgomery Advertiser on Tuesday. The deal is set to run from Feb. 1, 2024 to Jan. 31, 2027.

Durkin, who was announced in his new role Jan. 31, will see his compensation increase by $200,000 on Feb. 1, 2025. It'll make that same jump Feb. 1, 2026. The bonus structure in his contract is inline with the other assistants on Auburn's staff, with the largest incentive being a bonus equal to 25% of his salary if the Tigers were to win the national championship.

Ron Roberts, the DC at Auburn last season who left for a role at Florida in January, made $1.4 million in his first year on the Plains.

Durkin has a 100% buyout on his deal, so he will be due all of the remaining payments that would have accrued if Auburn fires him without cause. He does, however, have the duty to mitigate. That means his salary at his next job would be subtracted from the money the Tigers would owe him.

Auburn is Durkin's fourth stop as an SEC defensive coordinator, as he was at Texas A&M from 2022-23 and Ole Miss from 2020-21. He was also the DC at Florida from 2013-15 before he left for the head coaching job at Maryland. His time with the Terrapins ended in controversy related to team's culture and the death of 19-year-old offensive lineman Jordan McNair during a workout.

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Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: DJ Durkin contract with Auburn football: How much Tigers are paying