Coach Derek Mason out?

[ToomersStreet 795]

12 hours ago, Didba said:

he's like half an adult...

Half panicked

 

[AEAugirl 9,631]

Honestly I think Harsin could be the first coach to leave Auburn on his own accord.  But that’s just me. 

Harsin has coached at Texas and seen first hand the results of a bunch of meddling from outside the athletic complex and Auburn is Texas Lite in that department. 

He just does not seem the type IMO that is going to put up with a good ol’ boy mentality that the PTB at Auburn are known for.  

Harsin is a good coach, while everyone says he’s all Mountain West he HAS coached in the south.  He knows what football means in the southern states.  

I also think some of this rumored “discord” is being funneled from some of those who are salty they were cut out of this search.  Conspiracy theory?  Sure.  But the players behind the secret meetings with Petrino, etc….that dynamic is still alive and well in the luxury suites above Jordan Hare. 

[AuburnEagle79 2,165]

30 minutes ago, 80Tiger said:

If I remember correctly, many on this forum indicated that the Harsin hire was free of any PTB influence. That Allen Green was in charge of this hire. I tend to believe that. Some of the chatter I have heard is that yella fella was not a fan of this hire and therefore took a hands off approach. Besides him and maybe Harbert, I am not sure who would have any influence over assistant coaches hiring. I tend to believe that Harsin was free to hire his staff to begin with and all decisions lay with him.

I heard that as well, but also there were plenty saying before Harsin was even hired that Steele was going to be the coach (which is 100% true and had been discussed by the PTB as early as after the LSU game in 2019, confirmed) and he would bring in Bobo and Mason as his coords.

It just seems odd to me that Harsin comes in and brings his Boise staff plus the guys that the good ole boys wanted. I personally thought it was very smart to hire each of them to get his footing, knowing they'd both leave within a couple years.

 

[AuburnEagle79 2,165]

2 minutes ago, AEAugirl said:

Honestly I think Harsin could be the first coach to leave Auburn on his own accord.  But that’s just me. 

Harsin has coached at Texas and seen first hand the results of a bunch of meddling from outside the athletic complex and Auburn is Texas Lite in that department. 

He just does not seem the type IMO that is going to put up with a good ol’ boy mentality that the PTB at Auburn are known for.  

Harsin is a good coach, while everyone says he’s all Mountain West he HAS coached in the south.  He knows what football means in the southern states.  

I also think some of this rumored “discord” is being funneled from some of those who are salty they were cut out of this search.  Conspiracy theory?  Sure.  But the players behind the secret meetings with Petrino, etc….that dynamic is still alive and well in the luxury suites above Jordan Hare. 

I could see that, but if I were him I'd let us do the job for him and put us on the hook for his $$$ for a few years. We are good for it. 

[autigeremt 6,598]

6 minutes ago, AEAugirl said:

Honestly I think Harsin could be the first coach to leave Auburn on his own accord.  But that’s just me. 

Harsin has coached at Texas and seen first hand the results of a bunch of meddling from outside the athletic complex and Auburn is Texas Lite in that department. 

He just does not seem the type IMO that is going to put up with a good ol’ boy mentality that the PTB at Auburn are known for.  

Harsin is a good coach, while everyone says he’s all Mountain West he HAS coached in the south.  He knows what football means in the southern states.  

I also think some of this rumored “discord” is being funneled from some of those who are salty they were cut out of this search.  Conspiracy theory?  Sure.  But the players behind the secret meetings with Petrino, etc….that dynamic is still alive and well in the luxury suites above Jordan Hare. 

Spike the football AEA! You just scored at touchdown! 

[gravejd 3,270]

3 hours ago, NWALA Tiger said:

I like Harsins approach. Wish more personnel issues were addressed in the portal though. Mason and Bobo didn't work out for whatever reason. Harsin has to have at least 2 more years. The talk of him already on hot seat is foolish.  Sometimes u gotta break it on down, to build it back up. 

 

 

 

I just wish Harsin would stop having to break down what he himself is trying to build lol

[Handlebarn Mustache 20]

15 minutes ago, AEAugirl said:

Honestly I think Harsin could be the first coach to leave Auburn on his own accord.  But that’s just me. 

Harsin has coached at Texas and seen first hand the results of a bunch of meddling from outside the athletic complex and Auburn is Texas Lite in that department. 

He just does not seem the type IMO that is going to put up with a good ol’ boy mentality that the PTB at Auburn are known for.  

Harsin is a good coach, while everyone says he’s all Mountain West he HAS coached in the south.  He knows what football means in the southern states.  

I also think some of this rumored “discord” is being funneled from some of those who are salty they were cut out of this search.  Conspiracy theory?  Sure.  But the players behind the secret meetings with Petrino, etc….that dynamic is still alive and well in the luxury suites above Jordan Hare. 

I think you may be on to something here. What we are witnessing right now is what "not putting up with the good ol' boy mentality" would look like. If Harsin has decided that now is the time to "damn the torpedoes" and go all in on what he believes is best for his team, then to take into consideration the optics of his moves, would be counterproductive. Hell, if the man pulls this off, we can finally put that good ol' boy contingent out to pasture like they were able to do across the state. Wouldn't that be nice? War Eagle.

[AUApostle 7,651]

34 minutes ago, AEAugirl said:

Honestly I think Harsin could be the first coach to leave Auburn on his own accord.  But that’s just me. 

Harsin has coached at Texas and seen first hand the results of a bunch of meddling from outside the athletic complex and Auburn is Texas Lite in that department. 

He just does not seem the type IMO that is going to put up with a good ol’ boy mentality that the PTB at Auburn are known for.  

Harsin is a good coach, while everyone says he’s all Mountain West he HAS coached in the south.  He knows what football means in the southern states.  

I also think some of this rumored “discord” is being funneled from some of those who are salty they were cut out of this search.  Conspiracy theory?  Sure.  But the players behind the secret meetings with Petrino, etc….that dynamic is still alive and well in the luxury suites above Jordan Hare. 

Would like to believe all of that, but actions are speaking louder.  When several of your star players dump on you on an IG Story (or was it multiple IG stories now), talented/hardworking players are leaving the portal at a rapid pace, coaches are leaving or being replaced at an equally fast pace, when you lose 5 in a row to close out a promising season, and when you still can't recruit OL 13 months in...good gosh...maybe your approach is the problem.  There are many ways to accomplish a rebuild and a culture change that don't involve burning the building down to its foundation...maybe that requires someone more savvy who understands that a patient fanbase does not exist in the SEC.

His enemies really don't have to lift a finger as he's either creating the turmoil or mismanaging the narrative horribly.

 

Edited January 21, 2022 by AUDevil

[AEAugirl 9,631]

4 minutes ago, AuburnEagle79 said:

I could see that, but if I were him I'd let us do the job for him and put us on the hook for his $$$ for a few years. We are good for it. 

I don’t think that is Harsin’s mentality.  

Look I am not an insider….by ANY stretch….but my family is very close to a donor, and have sat in their suite on many occasions when they were generous enough to let us…he likes uses his for business purposes so this is not something we get the privilege to do all the time.  The ONLY Iron Bowl we were gifted tickets just happened to be the 2003 IB….the one right after the infamous Petrino meeting.  I will NEVER forget before the game, standing and watching the AU band do their pre stadium warm ups and he said to us “you know, there are some of us who love Auburn and want what is best for her,  and then there are some of us that want to control Auburn…and our goals are not the same”.  Everyone knew there were many that wanted Tuberville fired and I think it was the next day or the day after that Jetgate broke.

He has met Harsin on many occasions since he was hired and his concern and the concern of others, according to him, is that Harsin is just not going to put up with some of the political BS that others before him have.  

Take that for what you will. 

[80Tiger 899]

7 minutes ago, Handlebarn Mustache said:

I think you may be on to something here. What we are witnessing right now is what "not putting up with the good ol' boy mentality" would look like. If Harsin has decided that now is the time to "damn the torpedoes" and go all in on what he believes is best for his team, then to take into consideration the optics of his moves, would be counterproductive. Hell, if the man pulls this off, we can finally put that good ol' boy contingent out to pasture like they were able to do across the state. Wouldn't that be nice? War Eagle.

From what was posted on here, GOB did not have anything to do with the Harsin hiring. This was done by university president and the athletic director. I don't think any of the assistants were hire by GOB. I think Harsin has from the beginning controlled this narrative.

[JuscAUse! 1,404]

Is it official yet? Are we waiting for signing day to dump him? Is it just a rumor or fact? And is it just me or have some of our old timers been awol for a few days? So many questions.....

[woodford 3,655]

1 hour ago, augolf1716 said:

He was only at most going to be here only 2 years. He had purchased a condo for a million bucks

This is where he purchase the condo 

https://www.thewhatleyauburn.com/

I was told he built a house. Interesting. Those are nice.

[AEAugirl 9,631]

9 minutes ago, JuscAUse! said:

Is it official yet? Are we waiting for signing day to dump him? Is it just a rumor or fact? And is it just me or have some of our old timers been awol for a few days? So many questions.....

Supposedly he is expected to resign today. 

[augolf1716 21,102]

2 minutes ago, woodford said:

I was told he built a house. Interesting. Those are nice.

Yeah I got a couple of them

[aucom96 1,618]

20 minutes ago, AEAugirl said:

He has met Harsin on many occasions since he was hired and his concern and the concern of others, according to him, is that Harsin is just not going to put up with some of the political BS that others before him have.  

 

It's a catch-22. You want to compete against the bamas, LSU and Georgias or the world, you need money. Money comes with strings. The only way to cut those strings is to consistently compete at the top of the conference. 

Tuberville was probably the last to sniff that. His record wasn't really better than Malzahn, but he beat Florida, Alabama, LSU and Georgia with some regularity, won a conference title and should have played for a national. Dye was the last one who probably achieved it. Harsin - tough as he may be - doesn't yet have the resume to keep the sharks at bay, if that is indeed what the problem is. That was the big risk in hiring a low name recognition coach with no conference ties. All the big SEC programs have to deal with this, I just hope we don't follow the path of Tennessee...and right now it's looking iffy. 

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

Jarquez Hunter posting screenshots of some of the beat guys posts about this...hmmm.

 

[CR 2,438]

Harsins supposedly this tough Alpha guy, but were supposed to believe he had coaches forced on him by boosters that didnt want him to begin with? And now hes sticking it to them by hiring who he really wanted to begin with? And fans need to be patient while he builds relationships with recruits, yet his staff is turning over at such a rate high schools have no clue whos walking thru the door wearing an Auburn hat? Huge recruiting day tomorow and the staff will need a meet and greet to make sure they know each others name.
 

[AEAugirl 9,631]

4 minutes ago, aucom96 said:

It's a catch-22. You want to compete against the bamas, LSU and Georgias or the world, you need money. Money comes with strings. The only way to cut those strings is to consistently compete at the top of the conference. 

Tuberville was probably the last to sniff that. His record wasn't really better than Malzahn, but he beat Florida, Alabama, LSU and Georgia with some regularity, won a conference title and should have played for a national. Dye was the last one who probably achieved it. Harsin - tough as he may be - doesn't yet have the resume to keep the sharks at bay, if that is indeed what the problem is. That was the big risk in hiring a low name recognition coach with no conference ties. All the big SEC programs have to deal with this, I just hope we don't follow the path of Tennessee...and right now it's looking iffy. 

Agree, but how hard do some of those behind the scenes make it to actually achieve that?  

Like I said, there are some in positions at Auburn that feel that others would take actions that actually would be detrimental to Auburn in exchange for control.  

 

[AUApostle 7,651]

2 minutes ago, CR said:

Harsins supposedly this tough Alpha guy, but were supposed to believe he had coaches forced on him by boosters that didnt want him to begin with? And now hes sticking it to them by hiring who he really wanted to begin with? And fans need to be patient while he builds relationships with recruits, yet his staff is turning over at such a rate high schools have no clue whos walking thru the door wearing an Auburn hat? Huge recruiting day tomorow and the staff will need a meet and greet to make sure they know each others name.
 

Harsin’s known for churning through assistant coaches each year…kind of weird because he seems to take so much time to hire them that it seems like he’s being careful.

[autiger88 3,777]

Why is it that most of this board is unhappy with Mason leaving when most of the board wanted him gone during the season? Honest question not trying to argue. 

[JuscAUse! 1,404]

14 minutes ago, AEAugirl said:

Supposedly he is expected to resign today. 

Thanks. I haven't heard that yet, but I've been out of pocket for a few.

[BigBlueWDE 1,136]

2 minutes ago, autiger88 said:

Why is it that most of this board is unhappy with Mason leaving when most of the board wanted him gone during the season? Honest question not trying to argue. 

I think most folks wanted him to stop playing the soft zone in the secondary. Not gone.

[ThurstontheWelshCorgi 576]

5 minutes ago, autiger88 said:

Why is it that most of this board is unhappy with Mason leaving when most of the board wanted him gone during the season? Honest question not trying to argue. 

I wasn't one of those but I'd say it's because it's fairly obvious he is a valuable asset and that can be seen w posts from players likejarquez hunter reflecting his dissapoitment w the news he may be gone.

[Mcbowen327 63]

6 minutes ago, autiger88 said:

Why is it that most of this board is unhappy with Mason leaving when most of the board wanted him gone during the season? Honest question not trying to argue. 

Seems like the narrative changed from firing Bobo and Mason to Bobo only because of the Iron Bowl.  I think most were tired of us getting picked apart rushing 3. That changed at the end 

[gravejd 3,270]

5 minutes ago, autiger88 said:

Why is it that most of this board is unhappy with Mason leaving when most of the board wanted him gone during the season? Honest question not trying to argue. 

For me its the overall bad look of losing both coordinators in year 1 of a new coaching staff. I think its important to have stability in a staff to build relationships with recruits. If we had an amazing season and these guys were getting promotions then that is fine. But we had a bad season and people are getting fired and forced out. To me it looks like Harsin really screwed up hiring his first staff. Its not a death sentence but its certainly not a good first step.