Could Bryan Harsin leave Auburn after the early signing period?
When the Auburn Tigers hired Bryan Harsin to replace Gus Malzahn last winter, it immediately felt like an odd fit. Harsin is an Idaho native who has spent the majority of his football career in the northwest. Specifically, Harsin has spent most of his coaching career at Boise State. Outside of a year at Eastern […]
When the Auburn Tigers hired Bryan Harsin to replace Gus Malzahn last winter, it immediately felt like an odd fit.
Harsin is an Idaho native who has spent the majority of his football career in the northwest.
Specifically, Harsin has spent most of his coaching career at Boise State. Outside of a year at Eastern Oregon, two years at Texas, and a year at Arkansas State, all of Harsin's coaching experience came at Boise State (until arriving at Auburn prior to the 2021 season).
It seems likely that Harsin will eventually return to the western part of the country. The only reason he took the Auburn job is because most Mountain West coaches aren't going to turn down $5.25 million annually from an SEC program.
If Harsin wants a way out of Auburn — where he went 6-6 in 2021 — the Oregon job could be an option.
Oregon needs a head coach after Mario Cristobal left this week to take over for Manny Diaz at Miami.
If Oregon wants Harsin, it would be awfully tough for Harsin to say no. It feels like this is a very real possibility (especially since Harsin was rumored to be interested in the Washington job recently).
However, if it happens, I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't happen until AFTER the early signing period (which starts next week on December 15).
Harsin will likely feel bad if he leaves Auburn after just one season. And he would probably want to leave Auburn in a good spot when it comes to recruiting. That's why I could see him waiting to leave for Oregon.
If that happens, it's the players who will be hurt the most. The head coach they thought they were signing to play for, and possibly the position coaches they were set to play for, could be gone in the blink of an eye.
A player like 2022 four-star running back Justin Williams, who is down to Auburn and Tennessee, has to be thinking about the possibility of Harsin leaving Auburn to return to the west coast.
We'll see how this plays out, but I'd say Auburn fans should be on high alert for the next seven to ten days.
Featured image via Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK
