The start to [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag]’s tenure at Auburn began promising but took a wild turn halfway through the 2021 season.
After starting the season with a 6-2 record, Auburn would finish the season with five straight losses, which included a 17-13 loss to Houston in the Birmingham Bowl.
The rough end to the season carried over to the offseason, as Harsin battled a coup by Auburn boosters who aimed to remove him from his position.
He survived the attempt, and everyone seemed to move past it. But, how much longer does Harsin survive? A trio of SEC coaches weighed in.
In the Athlon Sports College Football Preview Magazine, anonymous coaches spoke on the drama surrounding Harsin, and what he will have to do this season to remain the Tigers’ head coach in 2023.
One coach says that the offseason spectacle has hurt, and will continue to hurt the program in the world of recruiting.
“You could argue a lot of the wounds they’re nursing are self-inflicted by both the head coach and the people around the program,” said one anonymous coach. “It certainly drove coaches and players out of the program, and it absolutely made it easier to recruit against them.”
While Harsin’s back is against the wall from the recruiting standpoint, another coach says that the current on-field product will suffer this season as well.
“As far as the football, they need a quarterback, they need a much better offensive line, they need to replace a ton of guys in the secondary and receiving corps, and they’ve bled a lot of Gus Malzahn’s guys in the portal because of all the off-field stuff.”
Harsin looks to rebuild his image, as well as the Auburn football program in 2023 by getting a fresh start with the addition of five new coaches, including two new coordinators.
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