Football Insider: Where do Bryan Harsin, Auburn go from here?

AUBURN – As of Sunday morning, the Auburn football program remains in a holding pattern. It’s unprecedented, really. Auburn football has gone through some strange times, but this might top them all.

By now, we all know the situation, but let’s quickly set the stage.

Powerful boosters have been actively building a case against Bryan Harsin to relieve him of his duties “for cause.” Those boosters have made their case to everyone that matters, including the university president. In a broad sense, Auburn Live is comfortable saying that the complaints center around Harsin’s treatment of his players and coaches. Executive members of the Board of Trustees met in private on Thursday night, met again on Friday to discuss litigation, and met again on Saturday. In the meantime, Harsin was asked to return to Auburn to discuss this, but declined, choosing instead to finish his vacation. Harsin did speak with ESPN, where he refuted broad accusations being made against his character, calling them “bulls***,” and saying the head coach needs to be given room to be the head coach, and be fully supported.

Then came the back and forth between current and former Auburn players on social media. Some supported Harsin, some criticized him. Former linebacker Chandler Wooten was extremely outspoken, talking to Auburn Live and going on the record. The differing opinions isn’t all that surprising considering Harsin came into Auburn and from day one talked about the need for comprehensive, on and off-the-field culture change. Harsin’s first meeting with the Auburn Football Lettermen, he talked about needing full support to create the change he felt Auburn needed to be successful. He didn’t receive any pushback from that meeting with lettermen either. So, to hear players have differing opinions about his approach isn’t surprising.

Then the Montgomery Advertiser reported specific instances that certainly didn’t paint Harsin in a good light. One involved a player texting Harsin to ask how he could improve his game and not receiving an answer, only for Harsin to have his assistant tell that player he needed to leave the program. Another involved Harsin assigning assistants to “do the dirty work,” telling players they needed to transfer, instead of having those conversations himself. Auburn Live can’t confirm or deny those incidents happened.

ESPN reported that this decision will be a non-athletics department decision, and Auburn Live agrees with that statement. This decision will not be up to athletics director Allen Greene. On Friday, Greene did meet with a handful of current Auburn football players.

Auburn Live is told that there was “more bad than good” said during those meetings, but that even the players that had negative things to say about Harsin and the culture, also relayed positive things as well.

Harsin will return to Auburn and meet face to face with president Jay Gogue and Greene soon.

Commentary on the Bryan Harsin saga

From talking to numerous different sources over the last three days with knowledge of the inner workings of Bryan Harsin’s tenure at Auburn, the overwhelming sentiment is that the culture change Harsin desired has backfired in many ways. Harsin has a way he wants to run his program. Some will like it, and some won’t. That’s the nature of change. In the business of college football, so often only the results matter. Harsin and Auburn won six games, while losing their last five straight. If Auburn holds on against Mississippi State, beats South Carolina, beats Alabama and/or beats Houston, are we hearing about this? I think that’s a legitimate question. If Auburn wins eight games, I personally doubt we’d be in this situation.

Again, from talking to sources, there absolutely appears to be a need for Harsin to improve on his relationship skills with players and coaches. No question about it. That doesn’t mean Harsin backs down from his principles and standards. There are ways to show empathy and build loyalty, while also upholding your practices and expectations. And again, there are things we don’t know. The case made against Harsin to Gogue could absolutely include elements that are more serious than we’ve been made aware of at this point.

Here’s the bottom line: powerful boosters wanted to push Gus Malzahn out and insert Kevin Steele over one year ago. That didn’t happen, the fans turned on that idea, and Gogue and Greene took over the search. Harsin was hired, and the boosters not only didn’t have a say in that hire, but they now had a head coach in place that wasn’t going to bow down to any booster or powerful influencer. It’s not in his nature. Then, Harsin began to implement his culture. From athletics department personnel, to players and coaches, this culture changed has rubbed many the wrong way. The fact that Auburn faltered down the stretch only compounded the feelings by Harsin’s detractors, and now here we are. Powerful boosters decided enough was enough, and have made their case to remove Harsin. Meanwhile, Harsin has dug in his heels.

Where does this program go from here? Even if Harsin is retained, how does Auburn recruit successfully after this mess? Where is the booster support for NIL? Ironically, if Harsin survives, he could have more fan support than he had one month ago. The Auburn fan base isn’t happy about the season, but they seem less happy about the actions of these powerful boosters and decision makers. However, if Harsin and Auburn go 7-5 next season, there’s no reason to believe this machine isn’t started back up again in an attempt to make the change that didn’t occur this time around. It’s a mess, and maybe that was the intention all along. Create a situation so untenable for Harsin that he has no choice but to accept a settlement from Auburn and move on.

Bryan Harsin is owed $18 million if Auburn fires him without “cause.” I don’t see a scenario in which Auburn and Gogue make a decision that involves paying him the entire buyout. If Harsin’s tenure ends, Auburn will negotiate that down.

It’s hard to imagine Harsin and this program moving forward after this with business as usual. Then again, I’ve never quite seen a situation like this, so anything is possible. Harsin is stubborn, confident, and it certainly isn’t in his nature to surrender a position that he believes he’s earned. So, we wait. This saga can’t go on much longer. Regardless of how this turns out at this point, the Auburn football program is going to be picking up the pieces for years to come.