The Harsin Tenure...

[GH2001]

Yep...hes back in the news. For some godforsaken reason, dumbass Chris Low and his moonface decided to give this guy half an hour for a follow up interview about his time at Auburn. I guess it was the last payment for the inside info Low was getting (and subsequent propaganda he was spewing) during Clesi-gate.

I am not linking it and giving it traffic. You all have ESPN.

Cliff Notes:

Poor Harsin, he had it rough. Let him explain to you the ways.

Interview went bad with Zoom but was hired anyway by Greene.

He and his family were treated horribly. This gets repeated a lot. Even says it was b--shit that legit concerns were raised because...."muh famlee".

He could have done a few things different but those are small, mostly Auburn's fault still.

Life is much better without Auburn now - he's enjoying things and is refreshed.

Back in Idaho, away from Auburn and it's great. He even gets to see friends again.

Acknowledges making relationships from President to Board to Donors is very important, still doesn't acknowledge that lack of attempting to do that was his fault.

Doesn't really acknowledge his recruiting failures much.

He is in high demand in the coaching world. Turned down many offers after he got fired. None were the right fit.

Will be more selective next time. Because he's so awesome.


All in all....this guy still think he's done nothing wrong.

F...this....dude. Psychiatric treatment Bryan - seek it dude. You have issues. He's like the hack of a singer on these talent shows that thinks they are on par with Celine Dion and won't hear otherwise. Delusional AF.

[GH2001]

Brian Stutlz who is a writer on Rivals had a good writeup on this ( I read it after I posted the above). The part in bold is all I need to see to tell me the amount of hubris that fills this guys brain....are you furkin serious dude?

I was done writing about Bryan Harsin. I really was. He left Auburn six months ago after a 21-month tenure that was so extraordinarily pathetic that it is almost laughable.

There was nothing else to say about him. So it was finished, much to the joy of everyone that covered him, played or coached with him. And for Auburn fans, it was a relief to get rid of a coach that never seemed to grasp what the job consisted of to win in the SEC.

I was done. And then the man from Boise basically considered himself a victim. Victim? Please. He's living the good life right now after getting a buyout that 99 percent of us can only dream about, while Auburn is trying to pick up the pieces from his negligence and outright refusal to try to win over a fan base that supports the Tigers with passion and vigor.

"There were things we didn't like, Harsin told ESPN's Chris Low. "There were things that were disappointing, on and off the field. There were things that I wish I would have done better, and there were things where we got a chance to see some of the worst in people."

The worst in people? Yes, we certainly saw that in Harsin himself. Nothing was ever his fault. The media, as he famously told us, "wasn't in the meetings," and anything going on that resulted in a bad look for the team was passed on to someone else.

But let's go back to what he could have done better during his short stint.

He could have given at least an ounce of energy to recruiting, the lifeline of a program. The lack of relationships he tried to build with high school coaches in the state of Alabama was appalling, with some from the top programs saying they had never met or heard from Harsin. He skipped out on a planned dinner involving recruits at a local club. The infamous Junior Day in 2022 was such a disaster that it is now a running joke. Hugh Freeze did more good for the relations with high school coaches in his first week than Harsin did in his entire time on the Plains.

The turmoil inside the locker room was apparent to even the casual follower. The look of dejection, even after victories, could be seen on the faces of the players. There was a dark cloud over the program; assistant coaches were on the edge of their seats, wondering if they would be the next to get the axe.

Harsin even went as far as blaming COVID for his troubles in getting to know the power boosters and in recruiting. That's just a weak excuse for someone who seemingly didn't want to get to know them because no other coach hired during the same cycle seemed to have that problem.

"But when you really get tested as we were at Auburn, and it's the same challenge for your players, your true colors are going to show in how you handle it," Harsin said in the interview with ESPN.

True colors is a funny phrase here because we see Harsin's in this piece. He still takes little blame for what went wrong, deflecting it onto everyone else but himself. The coach who let Auburn get to a place so low doesn't seem to realize that most of the program hitting rock bottom is squarely on his broad shoulders. Instead of taking the money and being happy, he decided to crap on the same school, which he said, "It means a lot to be Auburn's head football coach and a part of this program."

Of course, it was understandable for him to be angry after the 2022 investigation that almost got him fired after one season. But instead of coming back strong and fighting, he almost seemed to give up. The small effort he gave at the beginning trying to win over the fan base was gone. The final blow was an embarrassing blowout loss to Arkansas in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

We all knew this redemption piece would come out eventually. And for those blaming Chris Low, don't. He did what any journalist would do, especially one that covers SEC football. But everyone was aware Harsin would hit back someday and let his feelings be known. That's his right. I hope he feels good about himself.

But don't believe what you read or hear from the coach. That's his side of the story. Many others will tell you quite the opposite.

At the end of ESPN's piece, Harsin tries to advise on how to win in the SEC, something he obviously knows nothing about. He says you must have alignment from everyone involved, including the university president and board of trustees. And then he hits it with this quip.

"But we don't want to make that our problem any longer," Harsin said. "That's Auburn's problem. We've moved on and being home has never felt better."

Here's the thing, Bryan: Auburn has never felt better without you.

[Snakebite]

Deep down he has to know.  Especially with all the outside noise that points it out.  There's no way, at his core, that he doesn't at least ask himself "was I the problem?"

All he should have said..

"It wasn't a good fit for either party.  My philosophy didn't align with KPI's that Auburn prioritized.  I think I grew from the experience, and now see a lot of things in hindsight that I could have done better and will do better moving forward.  My family and I are very grateful for the opportunity that Auburn gave us, and I wish the school, the leadership, the players, and the fans the best of luck as I enter my next chapter."

[GH2001]

Deep down he has to know.  Especially with all the outside noise that points it out.  There's no way, at his core, that he doesn't at least ask himself "was I the problem?"

All he should have said..

"It wasn't a good fit for either party.  My philosophy didn't align with KPI's that Auburn prioritized.  I think I grew from the experience, and now see a lot of things in hindsight that I could have done better and will do better moving forward.  My family and I are very grateful for the opportunity that Auburn gave us, and I wish the school, the leadership, the players, and the fans the best of luck as I enter my next chapter."

That's what a normal and even successful person (in the long run anyway), would say.

That bolded part just killed me.....I was like "dude, YOU were that problem you speak of"

[WiregrassTiger]

It would have likely gone a lot better if Kaos would have gone a little easier on his wife’s and daughter’s big lips and tight leather britches.

[Snaggletiger]

Okay, here's the question I've been asking for years. WHY....WHY do you have to be "aligned with the President and the Trustees"?  The President doesn't call one play.  The Trustees don't call on one recruit. Neither of them run practices.  They have nothing to do with your team, their play on the field, or their attitude and moral.

If you're the coach at Auburn, you have EVERYTHING you need to be successful.  You have resources on par with anybody in the country.  You have no excuses. All the President and Trustees want is for you to do what you were hired to do.  Win, and everybody stays out of your way.  That's true at any school in college football. 

If they don't like you, or you don't like them, big F'n deal.  Grow a pair.  If you win, they'll be your besties. Start destroying the program, and they'll getcher' ass gone.  Pay you well, but you gone.

[WiregrassTiger]

Okay, here's the question I've been asking for years. WHY....WHY do you have to be "aligned with the President and the Trustees"?  The President doesn't call one play.  The Trustees don't call on one recruit. Neither of them run practices.  They have nothing to do with your team, their play on the field, or their attitude and moral.

If you're the coach at Auburn, you have EVERYTHING you need to be successful.  You have resources on par with anybody in the country.  You have no excuses. All the President and Trustees want is for you to do what you were hired to do.  Win, and everybody stays out of your way.  That's true at any school in college football. 

If they don't like you, or you don't like them, big F'n deal.  Grow a pair.  If you win, they'll be your besties. Start destroying the program, and they'll getcher' ass gone.  Pay you well, but you gone.

You don’t. I think it helps but Harrison is only using this as an excuse. Or, hinting at it as an excuse.

They probably didn’t like him but just as Snake and GH mentioned, he couod have been successful.

The dude was not a recruiter and not a good leader. At least not for a bright light program.

He was a terrible hire and overall bad fit.

Because he is Jehovas Witness? Or, whatever he is. No. I don’t think anyone cares what his religion is. He has a chip on his shoulder and seems to be delusional. He is not an SEC caliber coach. Maybe he could have been. But his narcissism wouldn’t allow it.

He should not care. I wouldn’t, after the pay day to leave.

[WiregrassTiger]

Let me add that if you motherfuckers come up with 1/10th of Harper’s golden parachute package, you won’t have to worry about hearing from WT evah again. And I mean none.

I will say nothing but good things about any of the x fags.

GH? Fuck yes, a great guy. CCT? Outstanding athlete who knows what he’s talking about. Wes? They don’t come any better. Token? I’m only willing to go so far with this but you get my drift.

[GH2001]

Okay, here's the question I've been asking for years. WHY....WHY do you have to be "aligned with the President and the Trustees"?  The President doesn't call one play.  The Trustees don't call on one recruit. Neither of them run practices.  They have nothing to do with your team, their play on the field, or their attitude and moral.

If you're the coach at Auburn, you have EVERYTHING you need to be successful.  You have resources on par with anybody in the country.  You have no excuses. All the President and Trustees want is for you to do what you were hired to do.  Win, and everybody stays out of your way.  That's true at any school in college football. 

If they don't like you, or you don't like them, big F'n deal.  Grow a pair.  If you win, they'll be your besties. Start destroying the program, and they'll getcher' ass gone.  Pay you well, but you gone.

In the NIL and facilities arms race era, it matters a lot. Really more with the PTB donors than anyone. The guy in charge now has that alignment and it’s working wonders. It just helps a ton to have everyone on the same page. Why wouldn’t you want to be honestly But…The checkbooks have been opened. All is well.

[Kaos]

It would have likely gone a lot better if Kaos would have gone a little easier on his wife’s and daughter’s big lips and tight leather britches.

I did go easy.  I could have gone hard at them. Hard like TJ on a Hardashian in the restroom at a TJ Maxx.

FWIW? I do a lot of work in Utah.  Love it there.  But they are some weird people.  He’s not an outlier in that culture. 

[Snakebite]

I did go easy.  I could have gone hard at them. Hard like TJ on a Hardashian in the restroom at a TJ Maxx.

FWIW? I do a lot of work in Utah.  Love it there.  But they are some weird people.  He’s not an outlier in that culture.

You mean we should have been calling him Coach Big Love all this time?

[Kaos]

You mean we should have been calling him Coach Big Love all this time?

Just saying you don't want to dig too far into that well. 

[Snaggletiger]

In the NIL and facilities arms race era, it matters a lot. Really more with the PTB donors than anyone. The guy in charge now has that alignment and it’s working wonders. It just helps a ton to have everyone on the same page. Why wouldn’t you want to be honestly But…The checkbooks have been opened. All is well.

I get it, now that we're in the brand new, NIL era. And yes, that makes a huge difference. But, I've been asking this same question for many. many, many....and I mean, many years.  More than a few.  A lot.

Sure, it's always good if everyone is singing Kumbaya by the camp fire, and playing nice.  But, I guess my point is, if the Corch is doing what he was hired to do, none of that matters. Auburn has been branded for decades, as Dysfunction Junction.  Any hint of friction means those damn meddling power brokers, who really run the place, are interfering again. Who can possibly work at Auburn, having to report daily to Jimmy Rane and his wild band of millionaire outlaws?

Take Lord Saybinz for instance.  By every account I've read or heard, the guy is an asshole of epic proportions, to anyone and everyone. He said, you hired me to win championships, and this is how I'm going to do it. You're either on board, or you're out of here.  I don't give two flippity shits who likes me or not. He turned it all around quickly, and it's funny how the reports of his ass-holedness, started fading away. The media and fans even defend it, embrace it.  Had he continued to lose to the La. Monroe's of the world, and earn spots in the Poulan Weedeater Bowl, the PTB would have descended on him like vultures, and the world would be a better place.

Despite whether anybody liked Breeland Hasbeen or not, had he hit the ground running, got out on the recruiting trail and started truly rebuilding this program, he could be the biggest jerk wad on the planet.  He, and any other coach at Auburn, would always have every resource needed to be a consistent top 10 program.  The attitude would be, "Just give the man what he needs, stay out of his way, and let him win."  Pretty much true at any program.   

[The Six]

Imagine this.

Bo Nix does not break his foot vs. Mississippi State. That game outcome might not have changed; Mason's D was getting cooked by Leach all afternoon. But it does mean BN plays the Iron Bowl. An Iron Bowl Bama clearly didn't prepare for nor act like they cared about until there were 90 seconds left on the clock. I firmly believe if Nix is there, Auburn is up by more than 7 late in that game and it doesn't matter what Bryce Young does.

If Auburn wins that and Harsin walks off the field wiping his forehead out of relief instead of frustration, who's to say things in the next few months don't go very differently?

[Snakebite]

Imagine this.

Bo Nix does not break his foot vs. Mississippi State. That game outcome might not have changed; Mason's D was getting cooked by Leach all afternoon. But it does mean BN plays the Iron Bowl. An Iron Bowl Bama clearly didn't prepare for nor act like they cared about until there were 90 seconds left on the clock. I firmly believe if Nix is there, Auburn is up by more than 7 late in that game and it doesn't matter what Bryce Young does.

If Auburn wins that and Harsin walks off the field wiping his forehead out of relief instead of frustration, who's to say things in the next few months don't go very differently?

It would have prolonged our agony. Several recruiting cycles of subpar talent, a makeshift offensive line that is just plain offensive, head scratching play calls that make you miss the predictable nature of Malzahn offenses, and no personal accountability from a supposed leader of young men.

Minus the amateur on-campus porn, I am behind the current trajectory.

[WiregrassTiger]

It would have prolonged our agony. Several recruiting cycles of subpar talent, a makeshift offensive line that is just plain offensive, head scratching play calls that make you miss the predictable nature of Malzahn offenses, and no personal accountability from a supposed leader of young men.

Minus the amateur on-campus porn, I am behind the current trajectory.

I think 6’s scenario is probably right and I think your prediction is spot on. We’d be in a terrible spot with the roster. We’d have very little hope for a winning season.

Now? There are some folks believing we could see 10 wins. Who?

I talked to this guy the other day at the piggly wiggly and he thought so. Actually, he should know. He works in the meat department.

[Snakebite]

He works in the meat department.

I man with means (and meats). I'll take it as Gospel truth.