AUBURN | Tracy Rocker is back to serve a third term at Auburn.

Bryan Harsin has hired the former Auburn player and assistant to coach the defensive line.

"Tracy Rocker is one of Auburn's all-time great players and has a wealth of experience coaching and in the Southeastern Conference," Harsin said. "He understands what a championship team looks like and knows what it takes to be successful at the highest level. We're excited to welcome back Tracy to the Auburn family."

The former Auburn defensive lineman, who won the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award in 1988, was the Tigers’ defensive line coach from 2009-10, helping lead AU to the 2010 national championship and developing Nick Fairley into an All-American, Lombardi Award winner and first round NFL pick.

"I'm excited about coming back to Auburn to work with Coach Harsin and the staff he has put together," Rocker said. "In my visits with Coach Harsin, he has shared a clear vision for the program and I'm looking forward to helping put that vision in place. I have great memories as a player and coach at Auburn and can't wait to create more in the future."

Rocker joins Auburn from South Carolina, where he coached in 2020. He's also coached the defensive line at Tennessee, Georgia, Ole Miss and Arkansas, along with the NFL's Tennessee Titans from 2011-13.

Rocker is the 8th of 10 on-the-field assistants hired by Harsin. He joins running backs coach Carnell Williams and cornerbacks coach Zac Etheridge as former Auburn players on Harsin's staff.

Rocker started his coaching career at Auburn High School from 1992-92 has he completed his degree requirements. He then worked at West Alabama, Troy and Cincinnati before joining the Arkansas staff in 2003.

Rocker, 54, and his wife, Lalitha, have a son, Kumar, that is a standout baseball player at Vanderbilt and projects as potentially the first overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft.