It seems inevitable that Bryan Harsin won't be the Auburn Tigers head coach in 2022.

Auburn released a statement on Monday that said the program is "collecting information from a variety of perspectives" before making a decision on Harsin's employment.

This feels like it's code for "we're looking for a way to fire Harsin and not pay his buyout, or work out some sort of settlement".

The situation at Auburn with Harsin is untenable. There's no way he can continue as the head coach at this point. It's not "if" he's fired, it's "when".

And that means someone has to be hired to lead the program in 2022. Does that mean Auburn looks for a long-term solution or do they hire an interim head coach for one season and reset next December?

The timing isn't ideal for a college football program to hire a head coach, which is why I think all options would be on the table.

Here are five choices that I think would make sense for the Tigers.

Matt Rhule — Carolina Panthers head coach

Rhule wants out of Carolina. He reportedly had interest in the Michigan job, but Jim Harbaugh ruined that for him by staying put in Ann Arbor. Rhule isn't an "SEC guy", but he found success at Temple and Baylor. Is the former Penn State linebacker a good fit? I'm not sure. He's a better fit than Harsin for sure. Rhule might be the best long-term option of coaches that are "available". But that doesn't necessarily mean he's a "great" option.

Bill O'Brien — Alabama offensive coordinator

For now, it appears that O'Brien will be back in Tuscaloosa as Nick Saban's offensive coordinator in 2022, though he could be an option to replace Josh McDaniels as the New England Patriots offensive coordinator.

Does O'Brien want to be a college head coach again? Or does he want to get back to the NFL? If he wants to be a head coach, then Auburn is one of the better jobs in college football. O'Brien did a great job for two years at Penn State in the midst of a tough situation (following the Jerry Sandusky scandal). I think he could do a fine job at Auburn if he wants the job.

Kevin Steele — Miami defensive coordinator

Steele was briefly the interim head coach after Gus Malzahn was let go and before Bryan Harsin was hired. I'm sure he'd jump at the chance to be Auburn's interim head coach for a whole season. This only works if Steele knows he isn't getting the job in 2023. I like this option because it would give Auburn time to get on steady ground and then pick from a larger pool of coaches next December.

Hugh Freeze — Liberty head coach

If Auburn wants a splashy hire, then they could hire former Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze. We know Freeze can beat Nick Saban and have success in the SEC West. And he's turned Liberty into a very respectable program. I think Freeze would jump at the chance to return to the SEC West. This is a hire that would definitely scare some folks in the SEC. But would Auburn take a chance on Freeze with his baggage? After nearly five years, I think he deserves another shot.

Gary Patterson — Former TCU head coach

Patterson and TCU mutually agreed to part ways in 2021 after 21 years.

The Kansas native is currently working as a special assistant to head coach Steve Sarkisian at Texas.

I think Patterson still loves coaching. And I think he could be a good option to serve in an interim role in 2022 with the option to stay a little longer if things go well. I don't think Patterson is bringing a natty to Auburn, but he could certainly steady the ship.

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