The Harsin Question

[NWALA Tiger 3,535]

15 hours ago, toddc said:

Pete Thamel, Rece Davis weigh in on Bryan Harsin’s future beyond 2022

Chandler Vessels•about 22 hours

Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The future for Bryan Harsin at Auburn is clear to Pete Thamel and Rece Davis. No matter whether Harsin wins 10 games this season or five, he will not be the coach of the Tigers in 2023.

That is the conclusion the two ESPN insiders made together on Wednesday’s edition of the College GameDay podcast, citing offseason drama in which Auburn attempted unsuccessfully to fire Harsin for cause. With the resignation of athletic director Allen Greene in late August, Thamel believes a loss to No. 22 Penn State on Saturday could be the beginning of the end for Harsin.

“If they lose, does this start — their AD search is going on now and there’s a lot of people buzzing about that in AD circles — does this start what we all assumed is the inevitable exit of Bryan Harsin?” Thamel asked. “Which is not some manufactured media thing. They tried to get rid of him through that totally ridiculous, baseless witch hunt in February. They brought the program spiral upon themselves and now it’s just sort of how do they begin some sort of exit. 

“If Penn State goes in and wins authoritatively, that is where this Auburn season sadly goes. They completely Tonya Harding-ed his knees for lack of a better way to put it.”

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Harsin took over in 2021 after spending seven seasons at Boise State. He got the Tigers off to a solid 6-2 start, but they dropped their final five games of the season to finish 6-7. Ultimately Harsin kept his job, but the bizarre attempted firing this offseason puts immense pressure on him entering Year 2. 

Davis took it a step further than Thamel by saying that even if Auburn finds a way to beat the Nittany Lions and turns this into a successful year, he will leave on his own accord. 

“The Harsin exit is going to happen one way or the other,” Davis said. “If I’m wrong about Auburn and they play better in the passing game and beat Penn State and go on a run and have a really good season, then Harsin’s gone because he’ll find another job to take. If it goes the other way, then he’s gone for the reasons you say. This is going to happen. The question is when and how, at least to me. 

“There’s no coming back from what happened in the offseason long term. If there is any reprieve, it’s temporary. …I would be stunned if it’s not over one way or the other at the end of this year. It could be at the end of a 10-win Auburn season or at the end of a mediocre one. I think they’ve got decent talent — they’re not gonna go out and stink it up any game that they play. But this is not going to last long term. The powers that be there didn’t want it to last. They pushed out one of the best athletic directors in the game for some inexplicable reason. Now they get to do what they want, and they’ll start over and get different guys.”

Finally, Thamel pointed to one last sign that Bryan Harsin’s future at Auburn is in jeopardy. Despite bringing in the seventh-best recruiting class in the SEC in 2022, the Tigers rank 13th for 2023 according to On3 Consensus. The ESPN senior writer believes that shows that recruits are scared of making a commitment to a coach that likely won’t by there by the time they arrive. 

“In composite recruiting rankings right now, Auburn is 14th of 14 SEC schools,” Thamel said. “That is not an indictment of Bryan Harsin, that is an indictment of lack of faith in recruits. If you’re a high school coach, it’d be hard in good faith to send a player to Auburn and say, ‘Hey, this is what it’s gonna look like your next five years.’ This should be when his recruiting is really hitting its stride, and instead they are well behind Vanderbilt.”

I've stated on here b4, be careful what u wish for. There is just a good a chance Harsin leaves on his own as leaving on being fired

[abw0004 10,108]

18 minutes ago, cole256 said:

I said we needed to hire Kirby smart and of course bunch of people on here laughed at me. When it was reported he was going to uga I said this was going to effect more than anything we've seen and it was going to be bad for us, and I was laughed at. Now here we are.

 

We're in a very bad place and unless he can hire some super guru savant we're in trouble. At the state we're at right now the only person that could get the ball moving to get us out is Deion Sanders. But of course he wouldn't be accepted and if he was magically he would be said to be lazy and dumb. 

I think, as sad as this is to say, that we are going to be down until bammer messes up replacing saban.

I still think Smart would have bolted to UGA if they offered him.

I really think Sanders would be a good fit for us, but I am not sure he would want to leave Jackson State just with the motivation behind him coaching there.  I don't think it is about money or Division I championships for him, I think is more about putting HBCU's on the map, which I respect.

[Gowebb11 9,309]

1 minute ago, NWALA Tiger said:

I would have been ok with hiring Kirby. BUT, no way he would have the same recruiting success at Auburn that he is having at Georgia... At Georgia, he has the advantage of being the main state school.  I think he could have recruited well at AU  but not at the level he is doing now. Which would in turn trickle down to his won loss record if he were at AU

I agree, but assuming he was half as successful at AU in recruiting than he is at UGA our roster would still be closer to UGA and Bama than Miss St and Arky. That’s where we are now. 

[NWALA Tiger 3,535]

Just now, Gowebb11 said:

I agree, but assuming he was half as successful at AU in recruiting than he is at UGA our roster would still be closer to UGA and Bama than Miss St and Arky. That’s where we are now. 

True

[NWALA Tiger 3,535]

4 minutes ago, abw0004 said:

I still think Smart would have bolted to UGA if they offered him.

I really think Sanders would be a good fit for us, but I am not sure he would want to leave Jackson State just with the motivation behind him coaching there.  I don't think it is about money or Division I championships for him, I think is more about putting HBCU's on the map, which I respect.

Are u kidding. I bet Sanders would crawl to AU if we offered.. and I would be good with that BTW.... That would be a Bruce Pearl type hire as far as making a splash. If a change is made. We don't need the same ol , same ol... Think outside the box. Sanders checks the boxes ... anyone think Champ or Steel anyone like that would keep Kirby up at night???? Guarantee u Sanders would

Edited September 16, 2022 by NWALA Tiger

[Mikey 16,550]

Compared to Deon Sanders, Harsin's resume looks like Belichick's. Sanders has done nothing to recommend him as head coach to a P5 program. He wouldn't even be in the serious discussion if AU or any other major program were looking for a head coach. I suppose mentioning him is interesting message board fodder but he's not a realistic candidate. I'd rather hire Dell McGee. At least he has the background.

[woodford 3,655]

Pete Thamel 🤣

 

Was Thayer Evans not available?

[homersapien 11,354]

This constant talk about Harsin's future is really hurting us in recruiting IMO.

[Mikey 16,550]

Just now, homersapien said:

This constant talk about Harsin's future is really hurting us in recruiting IMO.

I don't think this message board in itself is having any affect on recruiting. However, what we see here is just a reflection of what's going on in the real world. If Harsin can put together a successful season he might be able to flip some targets who have committed elsewhere. I'm rooting for a successful AU season but I don't expect it.

[woodford 3,655]

24 minutes ago, NWALA Tiger said:

Are u kidding. I bet Sanders would crawl to AU if we offered.. and I would be good with that BTW.... That would be a Bruce Pearl type hire as far as making a splash. If a change is made. We don't need the same ol , same ol... Think outside the box. Sanders checks the boxes ... anyone think Champ or Steel anyone like that would keep Kirby up at night???? Guarantee u Sanders would

 

1. Flavor of the week

2. Hype man

3. Possibly a fraud

Yep, sure does. 

Unless he runs some game changing offense and starts putting FCS guys in the NFL then I'm bearish on Neon Deion. Don't fall for the hype. Would he recruit well? Hell yeah. Would it add up to wins? No idea. Look at Jimbo Fisher. All that talent to win 8 games a year.

 

And no, it's not because it's Deion Sanders that I'm skeptical. Any high flying, sexy OC or G5 coach I am skeptical about. How's Eli Drinkwitz doing? It's a great time to be a CFB coach because these schools don't vet anyone, they just hire the best marketed coach.

[weagl1 1,781]

Bottom line of all of this.  If Harsin and his guys can’t recruit then they can’t be successful at Auburn or any other SEC school.  If they turn it around this year and it looks like he has a future maybe recruiting picks up.  If not he ain’t gonna make it.  

[NWALA Tiger 3,535]

15 minutes ago, woodford said:

 

1. Flavor of the week

2. Hype man

3. Possibly a fraud

Yep, sure does. 

Unless he runs some game changing offense and starts putting FCS guys in the NFL then I'm bearish on Neon Deion. Don't fall for the hype. Would he recruit well? Hell yeah. Would it add up to wins? No idea. Look at Jimbo Fisher. All that talent to win 8 games a year.

 

And no, it's not because it's Deion Sanders that I'm skeptical. Any high flying, sexy OC or G5 coach I am skeptical about. How's Eli Drinkwitz doing? It's a great time to be a CFB coach because these schools don't vet anyone, they just hire the best marketed coach.

Ok. So let's just hire  a retread... Muschamp or swing for the fences and maybe get Steele. Full disclosure,  I hope Harsin stays.. but don't worry... If we are in the market for a coach we won't let Deion even sniff an interview...

Edited September 16, 2022 by NWALA Tiger

[woodford 3,655]

5 minutes ago, NWALA Tiger said:

Ok. So let's just hire  a retread... Muschamp or swing for the fences and maybe get Steele. Full disclosure,  I hope Harsin stays.. but don't worry... If we are in the market for a coach we won't let Deion even sniff an interview...

My man, I never anything like that. Don't really know you're talking to.

[NWALA Tiger 3,535]

Just now, woodford said:

My man, I never anything like that. Don't really know you're talking to.

 

1 minute ago, woodford said:

My man, I never anything like that. Don't really know you're talking to.

Well who are your preferred,  obtainable candidates?

[meh130 1,043]

17 hours ago, toddc said:

Pete Thamel, Rece Davis weigh in on Bryan Harsin’s future beyond 2022

Chandler Vessels•about 22 hours

Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The future for Bryan Harsin at Auburn is clear to Pete Thamel and Rece Davis. No matter whether Harsin wins 10 games this season or five, he will not be the coach of the Tigers in 2023.

That is the conclusion the two ESPN insiders made together on Wednesday’s edition of the College GameDay podcast, citing offseason drama in which Auburn attempted unsuccessfully to fire Harsin for cause. With the resignation of athletic director Allen Greene in late August, Thamel believes a loss to No. 22 Penn State on Saturday could be the beginning of the end for Harsin.

“If they lose, does this start — their AD search is going on now and there’s a lot of people buzzing about that in AD circles — does this start what we all assumed is the inevitable exit of Bryan Harsin?” Thamel asked. “Which is not some manufactured media thing. They tried to get rid of him through that totally ridiculous, baseless witch hunt in February. They brought the program spiral upon themselves and now it’s just sort of how do they begin some sort of exit. 

“If Penn State goes in and wins authoritatively, that is where this Auburn season sadly goes. They completely Tonya Harding-ed his knees for lack of a better way to put it.”

CLICK HERE to subscribe for FREE to the On3 YouTube channel

Harsin took over in 2021 after spending seven seasons at Boise State. He got the Tigers off to a solid 6-2 start, but they dropped their final five games of the season to finish 6-7. Ultimately Harsin kept his job, but the bizarre attempted firing this offseason puts immense pressure on him entering Year 2. 

Davis took it a step further than Thamel by saying that even if Auburn finds a way to beat the Nittany Lions and turns this into a successful year, he will leave on his own accord. 

“The Harsin exit is going to happen one way or the other,” Davis said. “If I’m wrong about Auburn and they play better in the passing game and beat Penn State and go on a run and have a really good season, then Harsin’s gone because he’ll find another job to take. If it goes the other way, then he’s gone for the reasons you say. This is going to happen. The question is when and how, at least to me. 

“There’s no coming back from what happened in the offseason long term. If there is any reprieve, it’s temporary. …I would be stunned if it’s not over one way or the other at the end of this year. It could be at the end of a 10-win Auburn season or at the end of a mediocre one. I think they’ve got decent talent — they’re not gonna go out and stink it up any game that they play. But this is not going to last long term. The powers that be there didn’t want it to last. They pushed out one of the best athletic directors in the game for some inexplicable reason. Now they get to do what they want, and they’ll start over and get different guys.”

Finally, Thamel pointed to one last sign that Bryan Harsin’s future at Auburn is in jeopardy. Despite bringing in the seventh-best recruiting class in the SEC in 2022, the Tigers rank 13th for 2023 according to On3 Consensus. The ESPN senior writer believes that shows that recruits are scared of making a commitment to a coach that likely won’t by there by the time they arrive. 

“In composite recruiting rankings right now, Auburn is 14th of 14 SEC schools,” Thamel said. “That is not an indictment of Bryan Harsin, that is an indictment of lack of faith in recruits. If you’re a high school coach, it’d be hard in good faith to send a player to Auburn and say, ‘Hey, this is what it’s gonna look like your next five years.’ This should be when his recruiting is really hitting its stride, and instead they are well behind Vanderbilt.”

To be fair, the idea of Auburn over-achieving in 2022, and Harsin deciding to go to another school, would be the best outcome for Auburn. It would allow a new President and new AD to make a hire that should be compatible with the PTB. It would not cost us millions in buyout money. It would not significantly impact recruiting in a negative way. And a new coach who had experience recruiting in the southeast would have a honeymoon period without the gloom of the "hot seat" hanging over their heads.

Of course, it assumes Auburn's leadership is competent. That is a big question mark.

The obvious risks would be players who bought into Harsin's plan hitting the portal, and some loss of recruits. But both would probably be less than a firing.

[gravejd 3,269]

1 hour ago, NWALA Tiger said:

 

Well who are your preferred,  obtainable candidates?

Grimes is my guy personally. He could def get OL to sign here. Not sure what other credentials people need to see lol

[AUwent 3,747]

32 minutes ago, gravejd said:

Grimes is my guy personally. He could def get OL to sign here. Not sure what other credentials people need to see lol

If he would come, hell yes. I don’t think he would.

Seeing comparisons of Harsin to Brett Bielema on the other forum I read. Very accurate. Which means the next guy…oh god.

But the guy after that should be pretty awesome! 😀 😂 

Edited September 16, 2022 by AUwent

[AuCivilEng1 10,995]

2 hours ago, NWALA Tiger said:

 

Well who are your preferred,  obtainable candidates?

Jeff Grimes, Dave Aranda, Kiffin, Fickell

Those are my 4.

[AUwent 3,747]

2 minutes ago, AuCivilEng1 said:

Jeff Grimes, Dave Aranda, Kiffin, Fickell

Those are my 4.

Slim (Grimes) to none.

[AuCivilEng1 10,995]

25 minutes ago, AUwent said:

Slim (Grimes) to none.

You don’t think any of those 4 would come for the right price? 

[NWALA Tiger 3,535]

3 minutes ago, AuCivilEng1 said:

You don’t think any of those 4 would come for the right price? 

Well the knock on Harsin is recruiting or lack thereof... Isn't Kiffin behind Harsin in recruiting this year? 

[NWALA Tiger 3,535]

Just now, NWALA Tiger said:

Well the knock on Harsin is recruiting or lack thereof... Isn't Kiffin behind Harsin in recruiting this year? 

Has Grimes ever been a head coach

[gravejd 3,269]

This is not the correct time to have this convo so i'll back out after this post. 

Jeff Grimes is the offensive coordinator at Baylor. We 1000% could get him if we offered. He has not been a head coach AFAIK but that is not a requirement for me in the coaching search. As much as i would love to get a proven winner the best AU has ever done with hiring a proven winner is Harsin. 

So i'll take the assistant coach with ties to AU that i know will be able to get some offensive line recruits to sign. 

[Gowebb11 9,309]

3 hours ago, homersapien said:

This constant talk about Harsin's future is really hurting us in recruiting IMO.

Agreed. A win tomorrow would go a long way to gain back some momentum. 

[cole256 17,039]

And as far as my thoughts I hope for the best but I just don't see it because of how we do stupid stuff as far as disliking our players because of other players and we don't see how EVERYTHING matters, to overall competition. 

We are just so behind at being an attractive destination to land right now and nothing is more important than recruiting. It just does not look good and that has to change