It is no secret that Auburn Football head coach [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] battled one of the most challenging offseasons that any coach should have to endure.
After surviving an attempt to remove him from his title of head coach, players, as well as several media members and distinguished alumni, are showing Harsin their support.
Another prominent figure in sports media, especially in the SEC, is now voicing his support for Harsin, as well as sharing his opinion on the whole matter.
Paul Finebaum, host of the Paul Finebaum Show on SEC Network as well as several radio stations in the southeast, recently joined “McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning” on Jox 94.5 in Birmingham where the topic of Harsin’s wild offseason was discussed.
“I think Bryan Harsin has been a true profile and courage of what you should be as a head football coach,” Finebaum said when discussing Harsin’s handling of the offseason controversy.
The show’s host, former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy, says that he personally did not understand why Harsin took as much flack as he did, and went on to mention how a certain local publication attacked Harsin early. Finebaum agreed, saying that he felt Harsin’s criticism was deemed unfair
“In many ways, (AL.com) continued. They set a pattern before the guy ever coached a game, and I think that was terribly unfair,” Finebaum said. “I like him very much. I think that he is a very thoughtful coach. I think that he sets a great example. I can now understand why Allen Greene bucked the system to try to hire him.”
Harsin survived the coup with and has appeared to put the incident behind him. Now, it is time for Harsin to earn back the trust and respect of those that once cast Harsin as a dark figure in Auburn athletics. Finebaum believes that Harsin is on the right track to do that.
“In terms of winning people over that were on the fence with Bryan Harsin, I think that he has done that,” Finebaum said. “I think that he deserves tremendous praise for taking a road less traveled and taking on those who tried to fire him, and taking on those who creep in the middle of the night like cockroaches trying to get a man fired with no justification and not one scintilla of evidence.”
To listen to McElroy and Cubelic’s full interview with Paul Finebaum, click here.
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