Well, here we go again. The talk shows and message boards all on fire over who Auburn’s next football coach will be, before the current coach is even fired. Will Bryman Harvinz be fired mid-season? I have no idea, and no “inside sources” who could, or would give me any insight on that subject. I’m just an average Joe, doing my 8:00 to 5:00 thing. A real ham and egger. Do I want a change? Absolutely! I wanted him gone before he got back to the locker room this past Saturday. But, I also understand it’s not always that easy. A lot of dynamics, and a lot of money involved. I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I have zero control over any of that, and things will play out the way those who do have control want it to.
The ”Here we go again” refers more to the narrative that always goes with the slightest controversy at Auburn. The dreaded power structure. The powers that be. The meddling boosters. Yella Fella. During my short drive to work this morning, I heard the question twice. Who would want to come to Auburn and deal with that dysfunction? I mean, come on. We all know that twice in the last year and a half, those evil boosters tried “coup attempts” against Coach Hamrins. Right? You remember how they tried to get Kevin Steele in place over Hartinz. (Even though those rumors started long before Harmons name was even mentioned) The whole sports world saw Yella Fella and his cronies try and overthrow the regime back in February. It’s the way things are done at Auburn. We’re run by a bunch of petulant little 4 year olds who holler and stomp and pout until they get their way. It’s JABA.
A couple of things about the last year and a half. I can’t imagine anyone actually wanting Kevin Steele as our head coach. He’s something like 2-87 in his career. But maybe there were some that wanted to see that happen. Does anyone believe there weren’t powerful people at LSU who had their designs on someone besides Coach Shrek when he was hired? Do you think the power brokers at Tennessee haven’t attempted to influence decisions over the last decade plus of real coaching dysfunction? Every school has them. We don’t always make the best decisions at Auburn, but we’re not unique in that regard. But ultimately, my question is, if those evil boosters are so powerful, and always meddling in Athletic Department affairs, why isn’t Kevin Steele our head coach? And why wasn’t Breelan Hartman fired in February? Funny how despite the same old narrative, the boosters never seem to get their way.
In my mind, it’s a very simple scenario. College football at this level isn’t big business. It’s YUUUUGE business, and getting bigger every day. I don’t care if we hire Deion Sanders or Celine Dion. If you win, everybody will leave you alone. Go 6-7 and look like shit doing it, your seat will heat up in a hurry. There’s no easy solution or quick ending to our current situation, but I have no problem with boosters, power brokers, whatever you want to call them, getting somewhat involved, as long as they have Auburn and the future of this program at heart. I just know the next few months are going to be a ride, and the outside world will continue to harp on the dysfunctional power dynamic at Auburn and ask, what coach could possibly navigate it. My answer is, as long as they win, all of them. And they’ll get very rich doing it.