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Report: Auburn to hire Boise State’s Bryan Harsin as next HC
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It looks like Auburn has found the replacement for former head coach Gus Malzahn after he was fired just a couple of weeks ago.
The Tigers are set to hire Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin as their next coach, according to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports:
Sources: Auburn is narrowing in on hiring Boise State's Bryan Harsin as its next head coach. A deal is expected soon.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 22, 2020
It was later confirmed from ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg on his Twitter and then reported that he was one of the top targets for Auburn:
Source: #Auburn is going to hire #BoiseState’s Bryan Harsin as its next coach. Yahoo first reported. Ends a wild and winding search but Harsin headed to the Plains.
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) December 22, 2020
Obviously a lot of names have been rumored for #Auburn but source tells me Harsin absolutely was a top target for the school from the very start. https://t.co/Mmqrxi3cj3
— Adam Rittenberg (@ESPNRittenberg) December 22, 2020
Auburn has still not officially announced the hire yet but this was one crazy coaching carousel for the Tigers. They reportedly reached out to several top coaches around college football, including Clemson coordinators Brent Venables and Tony Elliott, Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal, current interim Kevin Steele, and Alabama OC Steve Sarkisian.
The Tigers also reportedly contacted Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze about the job. Freeze was an expected interview due to his ties to the SEC West with his previous stint at Ole Miss.
As for Harsin, he’s been the head coach of Boise State for the last seven seasons. His record there is 69-19 with his best season coming in 2014. He led the Broncos to a 12-2 record that year with a win in the Fiesta Bowl. Harsin also went 12-2 in 2019 but lost in the Las Vegas Bowl.
All things considered, Harsin looks to be a solid hire and could be the right man for the job. However, it’s also true a number of fans are likely underwhelmed after some of the potential candidates that were interviewed did not take the job.
As things currently stand, Penn State is set to face Auburn in Beaver Stadium on Sept. 18 in 2021, provided everything is back to normal by next season.