The Harsin Investigation

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

An interesting article on the Harsin "investigation" including his comments about the timeline of things.

10 days of tumult and tension: A look inside Auburn’s investigation of Bryan Harsin - al.com

Edited February 21, 2022 by Proud Tiger

[autiger88 3,777]

12 minutes ago, Proud Tiger said:

An interesting article on the Harsin "investigation" including his comments about the timeline of things.

10 days of tumult and tension: A look inside Auburn’s investigation of Bryan Harsin - al.com

Can you post the article? I'm not clicking that link lol. 

Edited February 21, 2022 by autiger88

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

1 minute ago, autiger88 said:

Can you post the article? I'm not clicking that link lol. 

Not sure  how to post just the article. It's long and worth the read. The link won't bite you (LOL)

[DAG 34,045]

According to several people who know Harsin, taking a settlement would’ve been an admission of guilt, which he was unwilling to make

of course not. Never thought he would do a thing.

[Aub111 5]

10 days of tumult and tension: A look inside Auburn’s investigation of Bryan Harsin

Updated: Feb. 20, 2022, 10:47 a.m. | Published: Feb. 20, 2022, 9:59 a.m.

107

shares

By Nubyjas Wilborn | nwilborn@al.com

Bryan Harsin’s time as Auburn’s head coach took a bizarre turn culminating in a tumultuous 10 days that saw him go from ostracized to exalted.

 

Most notably, Harsin remains as Auburn’s head football coach because, according to sources within the program, his no-nonsense attitude is the change a program known for meddling needs.

 

“We call ourselves the Auburn family, but we’re more like the Game of Thrones,” a source close to the program said. “Harsin reminds me a lot of Pat Dye. Coach Dye changed the culture at Auburn by demanding more from the players. Harsin has a lot of that spirit in him.”

 

Read more Auburn football: College Football Playoff will remain at 4 through at least 2025

 

 

Bert Watts bids farewell to Auburn after leaving for Denver Broncos

 

 

Bryan Harsin spotted at the No.1 Auburn basketball game

 

 

After talking to multiple sources with knowledge of the proceedings in and around the Auburn football program, here is an inside look at one of the most tumultuous weeks in Auburn football history and an idea of what’s next for the Tigers.

 

 

Harsin and his wife, Kes, woke up on Feb. 3 to several texts and phone calls asking about allegations against the head coach. Accusations were floating on social media while the Harsins were getting ready to head to the airport to leave Auburn for a vacation to Mexico. The conversations about Harsin’s job status were snowballing while the couple was in the air and reached a fever pitch once they landed abroad.

 

 

Kes later addressed the accusations publicly with an Instagram post, posting a picture in her IG stories that said: “Rumors are carried by haters, spread by fools, and accepted by idiots.”

 

 

Bryan did his best to unwind during the vacation. He went to the beach, out to dinner and other excursions but made several phone calls and texts as the situation unfolded.

 

 

Harsin reached out to an ESPN reporter on Feb. 3, providing an interview to defend himself from the rumors that preceded a Board of Trustees meeting the following morning to confirm incoming Auburn president Chris Roberts. The combination of the timing, including public silence from Greene, concerned Harsin.

 

Jay Gogue, Auburn’s outgoing president, told Harsin on Feb. 4 the school would conduct a review of the football program. Harsin told Gogue he would comply with the inquiry because he didn’t feel he did anything to merit termination. Not only did Harsin want the saga to end, he emphatically expressed his intent to remain Auburn’s head football coach.

 

 

From Feb. 4-10, Gogue, Auburn’s legal department, and Birmingham-based law firm Lightfoot, Franklin, and White spoke to over a dozen people, including current and former Tiger players and current and former coaches under Harsin. Lightfoot, Franklin, and White also represents Alabama Media Group.

 

 

Auburn’s inquiry included several conversations with Harsin during and after his vacation.

 

 

Harsin, 46, faced a decision: Accept a settlement or keep fighting for his job and possibly his career. According to several people who know Harsin, taking a settlement would’ve been an admission of guilt, which he was unwilling to make. Harsin reiterated his intention to remain as head coach. His contract included a buyout for more than $18 million. A year prior, Auburn agreed to pay Gus Malzahn $21.45 million to leave, putting the school in an unprecedented position to spend almost $40 million on two head coaches not to coach.

 

 

Accusations continued once Harsin returned to Auburn on Feb. 9, a day before the SEC coaches’ in-person meeting in Birmingham. A university document surfaced stating employees can be fired for not cooperating with an investigation or review. Harsin expressed concerns that the policy, dated Feb. 8, was designed to justify a firing with cause. University officials told him that the document wasn’t specifically targeted at him.

 

Harsin attended the coaches meeting and left without speaking to a large group of reporters waiting for his arrival and exit.

 

 

A turning point for Harsin came as he returned to Auburn from the meeting with his fellow head coaches.

 

 

UCF athletic director Terry Mohajir sent a Tweet last Thursday refuting a story saying Harsin would be fired at Arkansas State before he took the Boise State job in 2014.

 

 

“That is 100% not true,” Mohajir tweeted. “Very false and a lack of journalistic integrity.”

 

 

Harsin led the Red Wolves to a 7-5 record in 2013 with a share of the Sun Belt title after replacing Gus Malzahn. He led Boise State, his alma mater, for seven seasons with an overall record of 64-17. Harsin would later replace Malzahn at Auburn, going 6-7 in his first season, including a five-game losing streak to end the season, including a heartbreaking four-overtime Iron Bowl defeat. The timing and impact of Mohajir’s tweet was another tangible piece of evidence in favor of Harsin as Auburn’s investigation was winding down.

 

 

Harsin met with Auburn administrators on Feb. 11, reaffirming his dedication to coach the Tigers. Shortly after Harsin left the meeting, Auburn sent out statements from Gogue and Harsin, ending speculation about whether Harsin would remain as the school’s football coach.

 

 

“The past week has been an incredibly trying time for Coach Harsin, his family, and many others,” Gogue said last Friday via email. “Personal and intentional attacks have been publicly levied, almost all of them anonymous, without regard for their resulting, real-world ramifications. Auburn never has — and I hope never will — legitimize reckless rumors or innuendo with public comment. While Coach Harsin understands some level of public criticism comes with the job, what he and his family have endured this past week was beyond the pale. We regret the concern and anxiety this situation caused the Harsin family and the others involved.”

 

Harsin addressed the situation in a separate email.

 

 

“For us to take the Auburn program where we all want it to go, we must, at all levels, commit to each other and this great university that we all love,” Harsin said. “I’m confident we can get there under the leadership of Dr. Gogue, incoming President Roberts, Allen Greene, and our Board of Trustees.”

 

 

Auburn Athletic Director Allen Greene ended his public silence Friday with a Tweet backing the coach.

 

 

Harsin and Greene were seen together smiling and laughing during Saturday’s home men’s basketball game. Harsin took pictures with supporters, and fans chanted his name when he stood next to defensive lineman Derick Hall in the student section. Harsin also received public support from Auburn men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl after the game.

 

 

“Our student-athletes and our coaches stay together, and I’m looking forward to moving forward,” Pearl said. “I’m really happy for Coach Harsin, his family, his staff. And I look forward to working with him and his whole team to try to keep making Auburn the Everything School that it is. It’s good to get that behind us.”

 

 

As the dust settles, there appear to be three schools of thought about Harsin. People who believed Greene made the right call by hiring Harsin are encouraged by the Boise native’s resolve. Folks who disapproved of Harsin’s hire are more discouraged than ever about his ability to adapt to Auburn and the SEC. Ones who were uncertain but cautiously optimistic are now more concerned that Harsin can lead the Tigers to championship contention after such a publicly embarrassing set of circumstances.

 

 

Harsin wanted to be the coach at Auburn, and he got his way. Now, comes the hard part of moving forward.

 

The Tigers lost 19 players to the transfer portal, according to Rivals. The transfers were one of the concerns thrown around about Harsin. It’s also important to remember that 176 players from the SEC entered the portal. Starting quarterback, Bo Nix went to Oregon. The Tigers lost six defensive linemen, including Lee Hunter, who is at UCF. Hunter was one of the former players who spoke out against Harsin last week via social media.

 

 

“The reason I chose to leave Auburn (is) because we got treated like we wasn’t good enough and like dogs,” Hunter said via IG story. I love you, Auburn nation, war eagle forever. Coach Harsin has the true mindset for a winner but has a terrible mindset as a person.”

 

 

According to multiple sources, most players are ready to move forward with Harsin as their coach. The student-athletes hope fans will rally around the players and coaches who stayed at Auburn. A prevailing sentiment from the players is fans rooting for Harsin to fail are inherently rooting against the athletes who love playing home games at Jordan-Hare.

 

 

Harsin must utilize the six to eight scholarships to fill offensive and defensive lines. The Tigers could also use another wideout or two. A primary focus for Harsin will be who wins the quarterback battle between T.J. Finley, Texas A&M transfer Zach Calzada, Oregon transfer Robby Ashford, redshirt freshman Dematrius Davis, and true freshman Holden Geriner.

 

 

Harsin started moving forward on Friday when he promoted Eric Kiesau from wide receivers coach to offensive coordinator. Kiesau replaces Austin Davis, who left the program after working less than a month. Harsin announced that Davis was leaving Auburn two days before the first set of rumors surfaced. It would’ve been hard enough to replace Davis with an external candidate before the drama.

 

Kiesau elevating leaves an opening at wide receivers coach. Auburn could use this hire as an opportunity to get a strong recruiter with southern ties, who also has experience as an offensive coordinator.

 

 

Harsin also elevated secondary coach and 2010 national champion Zac Etheridge to an Associate Head Coach for the Tigers. Promoting him and hiring Auburn alum Jimmy Brumbaugh earlier as defensive line coach to replace Nick Eason are signs that Harsin wants to embrace the culture at Auburn by working with people who have intimate knowledge gained from success as players.

 

 

Spring football starts in less than a month. The 15 practices and Apr. 9 A-Day game will be an essential step toward healing the wounds of a difficult time for all parties involved. Harsin took a big gamble on himself by staying at Auburn. Paying off the bet will require Harsin and Auburn to find harmony.

 

 

Bouncing back from the snares thrown won’t be easy for Harsin. It’ll be harder for Auburn to hire good assistant coaches and the type of athletes it takes to compete with archrivals Georgia and Alabama after such a publicly embarrassing situation. However, Harsin believes he has a path to glory if he gets the chance to operate with the school’s full backing as a united front.

 

 

“We saw and felt the worst of the worst in some people,” Harsin said via statement. Fortunately, we also saw the best of the best in others, and we will always be grateful for the support of so many through a very difficult time – our players, staff, the Auburn family, and many others.”

 

Nubyjas Wilborn covers Auburn for Alabama Media Group.

 

 

 

Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission.

[aubiefifty 17,251]

11 hours ago, Proud Tiger said:

An interesting article on the Harsin "investigation" including his comments about the timeline of things.

10 days of tumult and tension: A look inside Auburn’s investigation of Bryan Harsin - al.com

why are you posting that crap from al.com? you know they hate auburn and have an agenda?  snickers..............i had to do that from all the times it was done to me. wink wink

[AUinMS9528 1,086]

I think there are already numerous threads on people’s thoughts concerning where we stand now.   But I will take this opportunity to spew my mindless ramblings on the subject:

1.   I do think CBH has really struggled to adapt to AU culture, hasn’t made many friends, and rubbed a lot of people the wrong way.  
2.  I am embarrassed by what the “AU family” has done to that man and his family.    I sincerely hope that part of the story has been blown way out of proportion as well.  To think that AU leaders tried to ruin a man just because they don’t like him is an unbearable thought.   
3.  I think our football program is now in a place where it is going to be very difficult to recruit, and bring in players and coaches to have any type of success in the short term.  Significant changes will have to be made in order to have any long term success.   

[aubiefifty 17,251]

13 minutes ago, AUinMS9528 said:

I think there are already numerous threads on people’s thoughts concerning where we stand now.   But I will take this opportunity to spew my mindless ramblings on the subject:

1.   I do think CBH has really struggled to adapt to AU culture, hasn’t made many friends, and rubbed a lot of people the wrong way.  
2.  I am embarrassed by what the “AU family” has done to that man and his family.    I sincerely hope that part of the story has been blown way out of proportion as well.  To think that AU leaders tried to ruin a man just because they don’t like him is an unbearable thought.   
3.  I think our football program is now in a place where it is going to be very difficult to recruit, and bring in players and coaches to have any type of success in the short term.  Significant changes will have to be made in order to have any long term success.   

it is my understanding it was click bait writers who pushed most of the bad stuff like the affair among other things. this seems to be the general belief now. now i am not saying the boosters did not try to encourage him to go but the gutter stuff seemed to have come from others. as for recruiting they are hitting it overtime including harsin. they have set up a new JR day and harsin is out meeting high school coaches as well as trying to get back in to the montgomery scene where we have lost a lot of recruits in the past to bama and others. also i was told they would give harsin his full pay check to go away and he refused saying he came here for a reason and he wanted to stay because auburn is special. now all this is MY understanding of different articles i have read over the last week. so believe it or not with all rumors and even some articles posting stuff for the truth. i guess one way to see how it is going is if the folks in the AD have a better working environment and other stuff that might have lightened up. we could ask biscuit or wde and see what has changed.

[creed 1,677]

My favorite quote.

“Rumors are carried by haters, spread by fools, and accepted by idiots.”

How many here fit into this category?  I guess we could go back to the mega thread and take count.

 

Edited February 21, 2022 by creed

[AUinMS9528 1,086]

49 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

it is my understanding it was click bait writers who pushed most of the bad stuff like the affair among other things. this seems to be the general belief now. now i am not saying the boosters did not try to encourage him to go but the gutter stuff seemed to have come from others. as for recruiting they are hitting it overtime including harsin. they have set up a new JR day and harsin is out meeting high school coaches as well as trying to get back in to the montgomery scene where we have lost a lot of recruits in the past to bama and others. also i was told they would give harsin his full pay check to go away and he refused saying he came here for a reason and he wanted to stay because auburn is special. now all this is MY understanding of different articles i have read over the last week. so believe it or not with all rumors and even some articles posting stuff for the truth. i guess one way to see how it is going is if the folks in the AD have a better working environment and other stuff that might have lightened up. we could ask biscuit or wde and see what has changed.

I like this version much better.  And hope it is more correct.  It would also make sense if this is the same people getting this info out after they tried and failed to get rid of him, now trying to make the most of the mess they’ve made.    The old saying is true, there’s 3 sides to every story: his side, their side, and the truth.   I really hope this assessment you’ve shared is very close to the true side of the story.  

[McLoofus 35,182]

18 minutes ago, creed said:

My favorite quote.

“Rumors are carried by haters, spread by fools, and accepted by idiots.”

How many here fit into this category?  I guess we could go back to the mega thread and take count.

What this board gets wrong over and over again is drawing too many conclusions from specific outcomes. We all do it but mistaking "insufficient evidence" for "full vindication" is a rather popular brand of it. 

The fact that they didn't fire Harsin with cause doesn't mean that there haven't been very real issues that, while not rising to the level of cause for termination in a legal sense, were inappropriate, unacceptable, and directly addressed behind closed doors. 

About the only thing that qualifies entirely as "rumor" at this point is the talk of infidelity and I never saw that given the first bit of credence on this forum. There have been countless posts trying to suggest that it was a meaningful component of all this drama, though. Maybe it was elsewhere but I'll be surprised if you find it in that thread you reference. 

[woodford 3,681]

15 hours ago, DAG said:

According to several people who know Harsin, taking a settlement would’ve been an admission of guilt, which he was unwilling to make

of course not. Never thought he would do a thing.

Wouldn’t have affected his career. Other AD’s or GM’s would understand. 

[DAG 34,045]

4 minutes ago, woodford said:

Wouldn’t have affected his career. Other AD’s or GM’s would understand. 

I agree. I just felt like he wouldn't do such a thing because then it would look like he is saying he is at fault. I never understood some of the posters advocating that he do this during that tumultuous time.

[cctiger 572]

2 hours ago, AUinMS9528 said:

3.  I think our football program is now in a place where it is going to be very difficult to recruit, and bring in players and coaches to have any type of success in the short term.  Significant changes will have to be made in order to have any long term success

I'm thinking the same way on this statement because: High school coaches and players are probably doubting if Harsin is even going to still be the coach on the Plains in the next year, or even two years from now. Good position coaches with experience are going to be difficult to hire. And folks, the way I believe it to be right at this moment from all that has happened since the 5 game losing streak, Harsin is a lame-duck coach in waiting on The Plains. Now with that said, I'm hoping that Harsin can bring some stability to the program and to where we all want it to be, but that is going to be a difficult thing to do in my opinion from where Harsin is concerned right now.

[PoetTiger 1,901]

Guy wants to see his job through, so apparently he was not interested in a settlement. I respect that. Also Makes me feel someone must be going to bat for him, because otherwise he would have 18 million and doing ESPN this fall.

[aubiefifty 17,251]

20 hours ago, creed said:

My favorite quote.

“Rumors are carried by haters, spread by fools, and accepted by idiots.”

How many here fit into this category?  I guess we could go back to the mega thread and take count.

 

i have a rule to doubt everything but to not be surprised if something comes true. with all the crazies running around these days it is hard to tell what is real and what is not.

[aubiefifty 17,251]

18 hours ago, PoetTiger said:

Guy wants to see his job through, so apparently he was not interested in a settlement. I respect that. Also Makes me feel someone must be going to bat for him, because otherwise he would have 18 million and doing ESPN this fall.

well there is the fact that if he turns auburn into a winner big money is headed his way. i certainly want him to win and soon. i am old so i want to enjoy all i can.

[Barnacle 9,064]

20 hours ago, McLoofus said:

About the only thing that qualifies entirely as "rumor" at this point is the talk of infidelity and I never saw that given the first bit of credence on this forum. There have been countless posts trying to suggest that it was a meaningful component of all this drama, though. Maybe it was elsewhere but I'll be surprised if you find it in that thread you reference. 

The infidelity rumor was everywhere. This board does a good job of policing rumors, but that poor girl’s photos were sent a million different places. All over Twitter. Talked to countless different people from different fan bases that week, and everyone has that picture on their phone, sent from someone else, probably sent from someone else. I personally had it it sent to me by at least five different people, only one Auburn fan. Assuming that there was nothing to those rumors, or that it wasn’t a part of any investigation, I was extremely disappointed that the University didn’t come out and nip that one in the bud, if not for Harsin, for her, another University employee. The separating fact from fiction statement did little to help. 
 

Alternatively, it may have been a part of the investigation, but it doesn’t appear that way. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

9 minutes ago, Barnacle said:

The infidelity rumor was everywhere. This board does a good job of policing rumors, but that poor girl’s photos were sent a million different places. All over Twitter. Talked to countless different people from different fan bases that week, and everyone has that picture on their phone, sent from someone else, probably sent from someone else. I personally had it it sent to me by at least five different people, only one Auburn fan. Assuming that there was nothing to those rumors, or that it wasn’t a part of any investigation, I was extremely disappointed that the University didn’t come out and nip that one in the bud, if not for Harsin, for her, another University employee. The separating fact from fiction statement did little to help. 

Alternatively, it may have been a part of the investigation, but it doesn’t appear that way. 

I stand corrected, thanks. I guess I need to get out more. And by that I mean I definitely don't need to get out more. Sounds terrible.

[Barnacle 9,064]

11 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

I stand corrected, thanks. I guess I need to get out more. And by that I mean I definitely don't need to get out more. Sounds terrible.

It appears that you use the ignore feature to your benefit in real life as much as you do here, to which I congratulate you. I could probably stand to curate more aspects of my own life. Maybe get out to the Smokies with the family more?

[McLoofus 35,182]

7 minutes ago, Barnacle said:

It appears that you use the ignore feature to your benefit in real life as much as you do here, to which I congratulate you. I could probably stand to curate more aspects of my own life. Maybe get out to the Smokies with the family more?

Dude, it was heaven being in the Asheville area that first weekend after all this ish went down. 

Also, living on an island where Auburn, bama and even uga are way down the totem pole is very good for that corner of my psyche. 

As for the internet, the rule used to be never read the comments section, but now almost every platform reads like the comments section. So, to @RunInRed and everyone else, thank you once again for providing this cabin in the woods. 

[DAG 34,045]

20 hours ago, PoetTiger said:

Guy wants to see his job through, so apparently he was not interested in a settlement. I respect that. Also Makes me feel someone must be going to bat for him, because otherwise he would have 18 million and doing ESPN this fall.

Resiliency. That is the key word. It gave me much greater respect for him. A good majority of people probably would've taken the money and ran but he wants to see this through. It is also what Rosegreen referenced in his interview. I am rooting terribly for this team this fall. 

[Barnacle 9,064]

3 hours ago, McLoofus said:

Dude, it was heaven being in the Asheville area that first weekend after all this ish went down. 

Also, living on an island where Auburn, bama and even uga are way down the totem pole is very good for that corner of my psyche. 

As for the internet, the rule used to be never read the comments section, but now almost every platform reads like the comments section. So, to @RunInRed and everyone else, thank you once again for providing this cabin in the woods. 

I recently subscribed to On3 - they had a really cheap promotion when they started the site, like .99 cents a month or something. Great content from the paid articles, but the difference in discussion on that site compared to here is night and day. It's almost unreadable there. Makes me appreciate the moderation on this site for sure. 

[autiger88 3,777]

10 minutes ago, Barnacle said:

I recently subscribed to On3 - they had a really cheap promotion when they started the site, like .99 cents a month or something. Great content from the paid articles, but the difference in discussion on that site compared to here is night and day. It's almost unreadable there. Makes me appreciate the moderation on this site for sure. 

Don't give Bigbird and Golf bigger heads then what they already have lol 🙃

[JerryAU 1,696]

4 hours ago, Barnacle said:

The infidelity rumor was everywhere. This board does a good job of policing rumors, but that poor girl’s photos were sent a million different places. All over Twitter. Talked to countless different people from different fan bases that week, and everyone has that picture on their phone, sent from someone else, probably sent from someone else. I personally had it it sent to me by at least five different people, only one Auburn fan. Assuming that there was nothing to those rumors, or that it wasn’t a part of any investigation, I was extremely disappointed that the University didn’t come out and nip that one in the bud, if not for Harsin, for her, another University employee. The separating fact from fiction statement did little to help. 
 

Alternatively, it may have been a part of the investigation, but it doesn’t appear that way. 

And it's still being used to trash that poor girl on several public boards right now.  Disgusting how some boards have zero moderation or oversight unless it pertains to race relations. 

I'm a new comer here and I appreciate this place more everyday.