Golesh names Demarcus Van Dyke as cornerbacks coach
A rising star in the coaching industry, DeMarcus Van Dyke has been hired as a new assistant football coach working with Auburn’s cornerbacks.
“We are thrilled to bring Coach DVD to Auburn,” Auburn head coach Alex Golesh said. “He has an elite ability to build genuine relationships with his players and develop them at the highest level. His NFL experience brings a valuable perspective to our program, and he’s worked and played for some of the best defensive minds in football. Coach DVD is going to make an immediate impact on our defense, and his strong connections in key recruiting areas will help us compete for the best talent in the country.”
Van Dyke comes to Auburn after spending the last two seasons as the cornerbacks coach under head coach Alex Golesh at USF. He held the same title at FIU in 2023 and was at his alma mater Miami in multiple roles from 2018-22.
In two years at USF, Van Dyke helped guide the Bulls to 16 wins and was a big reason the defense improved its scoring average by nearly a touchdown from his first year (29.8) to the second (23.3). In 2025, the Bulls ranked seventh in the country in turnovers gained (24), and a big reason why was because they led the AAC and ranked 13th in the country with 14 interceptions, tied for the most in a season since 2017 (20).
Under Van Dyke’s leadership, cornerback DeShawn Rucker was named First Team All-AAC after totaling 55 tackles, including 39 solo stops, with 1.5 tackles for loss, an interception and four passes defended.
In December 2024, Van Dyke was named to the American Football Coaches Association 35 under 35 list.
Following the completion of his playing career, Van Dyke began his coaching career as the cornerbacks coach at ASA College in 2017. He spent the next five seasons in various roles at Miami (Fla.), joining the Hurricanes’ staff as a defensive quality control analyst in 2018 and shifting to the recruiting realm from 2019-20 before being promoted to cornerbacks coach in 2021. He also spent a season as the cornerbacks coach at FIU.
Van Dyke was a dual-sport athlete at the University of Miami, competing in both football and track. He played in 51 career games for the Hurricanes from 2007-10, logging 21 starts and compiling 80 tackles, 10 passes defended, three interceptions and three tackles for loss.
A third-round NFL Draft pick by the Oakland Raiders in 2011, Van Dyke logged six seasons in the NFL seeing time with Oakland, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Minnesota and Atlanta. He played in 25 career games and logged 17 tackles, one tackle for loss, one interception and one fumble recovery.
Originally from Miami Gardens, Fla., Van Dyke and his wife, Kiawana, have a son, DeMarcus Jr., and daughter, Kai.
(Press Release from Auburn University)
