Former Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin reportedly agreed on a deal to become the new offensive coordinator at Cal on Monday. Auburn’s head coach from 2020 to the middle of 2022, Harsin is widely considered the reason the Tigers program has fallen from grace over the past decade.
After an ultra-successful stint at Boise State which included five seasons of 10+ wins and appearances in multiple ‘New Years 6’ Bowls, Harsin took over Auburn’s program following the firing of Gus Malzahn. In two seasons on the Plains, Harsin coached the Tigers to a 9-12 record and recruited a pair of the worst recruiting classes in school history. He also oversaw the departure of nearly 40 players to the transfer portal, including Heisman Trophy finalist and current NFL Rookie of the Year candidate Bo Nix.
While the choatic tenure as Tigers head coach seemingly brought an end to the upward trajectory of Harsin’s promising coaching career, the 48-year-old will now get another opportunity at a Power 4 Program in hopes of returning to the head coaching ranks. He’ll join the staff of current Golden Bears head coach Justin Wilcox, who led his team to a bowl game in its first season in the BIG 10 this season.
With expectations high and the BIG 10 sending a trio of programs to the College Football Playoff this season, Harsin and the rest of the Golden Bears staff will look to make the program into a contender in the conference starting in 2025. Unfortunately for Tiger fans hoping to warm up their voice boxes with some “boo birds”, Cal is highly unlikely to play the Tigers again anytime soon after a home-and-home series between the two programs ended this season.
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