Tag: Allen Greene

Auburn releases statement in regards to Bryan Harsin saga

“We do not make institutional decision based on social media posts”

In light of the ongoing Bryan Harsin saga at Auburn, the university has released a statement for the first time since the reports went public.

“The Auburn administration is judiciously collecting information from a variety of perspectives, including our student-athletes, and moving swiftly to understand any issues in accordance with university policy and procedures. Decisions regarding the future of Auburn and its Athletics programs, as always, are made in the interests of our great university and in fairness to all concerned. We do not make institutional decisions based on social media posts or media headlines.”

It has been the worst kept secret in college athletics as of late. Everything has been put out on social media for the world to see. Outgoing president Jay Gogue has addressed the Auburn Board of Trustees and athletic director Allen Greene has met with the leaders on the football team in regards to Harsin.

Greene has told the team they will move forward as usual while Gogue and the board are attempting to separate fact from fiction. We have seen this play out from all angles. Former players have voiced their opinions on the head coach, some positive and some negative. While current players such as center Nick Brahms and tight end John Samuel Shenker have gone to bat for their leader.

Some reports have indicated that a decision is imminent and likely pointing towards a change in the football program, nothing has been made official.

Look: Auburn fans show support for Bryan Harsin

Fans are ‘Standing With Harsin’ amidst the likeliness that the head coach could be removed.

Anticipation is building on the Plains as the Auburn fanbase waits to find out what the fate of their head coach Bryan Harsin will be. Following the report that surfaced on the job security of the head coach, he was a topic of conversation at the recent Board of Trustees meeting where they approved the updates to Auburn Arena.

Outgoing president Jay Gogue stated they were attempting to separate the facts from fiction in regards to reports and speculation that is making the rounds.

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In response to the multiple reports giving the inclination that Harsin’s days could be numbered at Auburn, the fan base is voicing their support for the head coach. Plenty of tweets can be found with the hashtag ‘StandWithHarsin’.

On Sunday dozens of fans showed up to support their head coach at Toomer’s Corner. Even bringing signs to show they are tired of the ‘Good ole boy’ system among the Auburn administration.

“Bryan Harsin, Allen Greene > Good ol boys, board of trustees”

Despite the showing of support, it could be all for not. According to a report from 247Sports’ Brandon Marcello, the removal of Bryan Harsin could come as soon as Sunday. At this point in the process it “appears imminent.” This won’t sit well for a fanbase that is quite frustrated with how this is all playing out in front of their very eyes.

Watch: Auburn athletic director Allen Greene absolutely nails field goal

Auburn athletic director Allen Greene attuned football practice and absolutely nailed a field goal attempt.

We’ve already seen Allen Greene light it up from beyond the three-point line. Now, the Auburn athletic director is showing off his kicking chops on the football field.

In a video posted by Auburn football’s official Twitter account, Greene lined up for a 20-yard field goal and absolutely nails it. His celebration (and cartwheel) might need some work, though.

Don’t worry, Anders Carlson. You are pretty sure your job is still safe.

Auburn volleyball cancels spring season

Auburn volleyball has cancelled its spring season, the school announceed Friday afternoon. 

Auburn volleyball has canceled its spring season, the school announced Friday afternoon.

Due to opt-outs and injuries, Auburn will not be able to meet the requirements for total participants and front-row players required to play, the school said.

Auburn went 0-8 in its matches in the fall and was scheduled to restart the season at the end of January.

“Our guiding mission is to provide for the safety and well-being of our student-athletes and to develop them as Auburn women on and off the court,” head coach Brent Crouch said in a statement. “Discontinuing play at this time is consistent with this mission. We are grateful for the work of Auburn University and the SEC, which allowed us to play a fall season.”

The SEC scheduled eight matches against four opponents for each team in the fall, with plans to re-start the season in the spring giving teams the opportunity to compete in the NCAA Tournament, which was moved to the spring.

The SEC scheduled eight matches in the fall and then would play 16 more matches starting Jan. 30, to allow teams to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Auburn and Vanderbilt have both announced they will not be playing in the spring.

“While it is disappointing that the circumstances do not allow us to participate in the spring volleyball season, the health, safety and well-being of our student-athletes will always be our top priority,” Auburn athletics director Allen Greene said.

Auburn AD Allen Greene: ‘Never rush an important decison’

Auburn athletic director Allen Greene sent an email to Tigers fans and alumni on Monday night detailing the coaching search.

Auburn athletic director released an email to Auburn fans and alumni on Monday night regarding the coaching search and not always rushing things.

Below is the entire email:

Never rush an important decision. Christy and I didn’t get engaged after our first date. We took the time to get to know each other. When we were both committed to pursuing our partnership permanently, that’s when we met at the altar.

In the same way, the search for a new coach needs to be deliberate, not done in haste. When the right candidate has been identified and both parties are equally committed to moving forward together, then you formalize your covenant.

As President Gogue said when we introduced Coach Bryan Harsin on Christmas Eve, during this coaching search Auburn aimed high and hit high.

The same things you heard during Coach Harsin’s introductory press conference, we heard during our visits leading up to that moment.

He’s the ultimate competitor. You have to be in this league. The opportunity to coach in the SEC West isn’t for everybody. It takes something and someone special to want to compete in the toughest division in college football, with a strength of schedule every year that equals or exceeds anyone’s.

Not only does Coach Harsin accept that challenge, he embraces it.

When you have the success that Coach Harsin enjoyed at Boise State, opportunities are plentiful. After every season, schools in the market for a new head coach reached out to Bryan. He turned them all down.

Until Auburn called. “How could you not?” he said to reporters.

His willingness to say “yes” to Auburn after saying “no” to many others speaks to Auburn’s well-earned reputation, and the alignment between Coach Harsin’s values and Auburn’s.

He’s a family man. We’re the Auburn family.

He’s demanding. His teams are disciplined. We believe in work, hard work.

He believes, and I concur, that young people still want to be challenged, strained and held to a high standard. That’s how he will build a program that consistently competes for championships.

He has extensive experience recruiting and developing quarterbacks, and producing high-powered offenses. In his five seasons as Boise State’s offensive coordinator, his teams led the country in scoring, averaging more than 40 points per game.

With Coach Harsin calling the plays, Kellen Moore finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2010, the year Cam Newton won. Moore won 50 games as Boise State’s starting QB, the most in college football history.

Here’s what Kellen, who’s now the offensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, said about Auburn’s new coach:

“Bryan Harsin is a phenomenal coach and person who will bring an exciting and successful brand of football to Auburn University. He has been a great mentor to me and I know he will make a positive impact on everyone in the Auburn program.”

Coach Harsin is an elite teacher who will be keenly invested in the holistic development of our players, helping them compete and succeed in every aspect of their lives.

As the proverb says, there is wisdom in many counselors. Our advisory group provided valuable counsel during the process. On behalf of everyone who cares deeply about Auburn football, we offer our gratitude to these seven Auburn women and men for their service. (Lieutenant General Ron Burgess, Quentin Riggins, Dr. Beverly Marshall, Tim Jackson, Bo Jackson, Randy Campbell and Michelle McKenna). This was a total team effort.

A few days ago in a letter to the Auburn Family, President Gogue addressed the process that led to the hiring of Coach Harsin as the leader of our football program. If you have not had the opportunity to read his message I encourage you to do so.

In the days since we announced the hiring of Coach Harsin, I’ve sensed a renewed enthusiasm among many of our fans. Now is the time to unite and put our shoulder to the wheel.

It will take all of us – Coach Harsin, his staff, student-athletes, donors and fans – pulling in the same direction to take Auburn where we all want to go.

Let’s pull together – and stay together – and make it happen. Together.

Thank you for believing in Auburn and loving it!

War Eagle & Happy New Year!

Twitter reacts to Bryan Harsin’s introductory press conference at Auburn

New Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin held his introductory press conference on Thursday after arriving on the Plains.

Bryan Harsin formally introduced himself to Auburn fans everywhere on Thursday as he held his first press conference as the Tigers head coach.

Here is how Twitter reacted to Harsin’s debut on the Plains.

WATCH: Bryan Harsin arrives at Auburn airport to welcoming crowd

New Auburn head football coach Bryan Harsin was greeted by a crowd at the Auburn airport upon his arrival.

Bryan Harsin has arrived on the Plains for the first time as the head football coach of the Auburn Tigers.

Despite it being Christmas Eve, a crowd was waiting to see the new coach as the he arrived at the Auburn airport in a private plane from Boise, Idaho.

What college football experts are saying about Auburn hiring Bryan Harsin

The Auburn hiring of Bryan Harsin has received national coverage and, for the most part, it has been deemed a good hire.

Auburn made a splash on Tuesday evening when it announced that the new football coach would be Bryan Harsin from Boise State.

While the hiring came out of nowhere, it has been hailed as a good hire by the Tigers and expectations for the Harsin era will be high from the beginning.

Here is what the national media has had to say about Harsin-to-Auburn so far:

Opinion: By standing up to boosters, Allen Greene saves Auburn from disaster

Report: Bryan Harsin to meet Auburn team for first time on Saturday

New Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin is expected to meet with the Tigers for the first time on Saturday.

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Current Auburn players will get their first impression of new head coach Bryan Harsin on Saturday as he is expected to meet with the team when they return to campus to began prep for the Citrus Bowl against Northwestern, Auburn Undercover reported.

Harsin was named the 27th head coach at Auburn on Tuesday night after an eight-day search following the dismissal of Gus Malzahn. His introductory press conference will also take place on Saturday with the time to be announced.

In seven season at Boise State, Harsin led the Broncos to a 69-19 record, three Mountain West conference titles and three bowl wins. Given the freedom to control who is on the staff, it will be intriguing over the next week or so to find out who, if any, of the current coaches left over from the Malzahn staff will continue with the Tigers.

Opinion: By standing up to boosters, Allen Greene saves Auburn from disaster

Auburn athletic director Allen Greene saved the Tigers from a disaster by finally standing up to the greedy power boosters.

Allen Greene reportedly stood his ground. The Auburn athletic director did what most of us only dream of doing: telling the power boosters to back off, that they had done enough damage already to the school’s reputation.

Of course we will never know what went on behind closed doors but from everything being said, Greene saved the day and Bryan Harsin is now the head football coach, ending an eight-day search that bordered on the absurd and chaotic. People were just waiting for Auburn to screw up again as coach after coach seemingly turned down the job.

Greene, who for the most part had been a silent leader in this search, not even holding a single press conference, showed for once that he was in control and, for the lack of better wording, showed he had some major cojones. He wasn’t going to let a guy that dresses up as a yellow cowboy or a nosy businessman or even a glorified ticket salesman get in the way of doing what was right for the whole of Auburn.

The hiring came out of nowhere with the timing of it being reported that he was the favorite for the job and it being announced coming within a few hours. While we still have to learn a lot of Harsin, the hire has been praised and it is expected that he will have full control over who is on his staff, something that wouldn’t have been the case had Greene not stepped up and taken control.

For years and years, the athletic director position at Auburn has just been treated as someone on strings controlled by the men with the money. David Housel, a wonderful Auburn man, couldn’t get away from it, famously going on the infamous 2003 plane trip to Louisville. Neither could Jay Jacobs. Too many connections, too many relationships. They were insiders and they following orders.

This is why Greene was considered such a splash of a hire. He was an outsider with no preconceived notions of how Auburn “should” be run. He had his own ideas and plans and finally, someone might put the money players where they belong.

It didn’t look like that would happen as the coaching search became an embarrassment, possible candidates leaked and then disappeared, infighting within a room full of men that, as Cole Cubelic put it, would rather be on the sidelines and see the Tigers go 7-5 then be in a suite for an undefeated team and, all along, making Gus Malzahn look like a saint for putting up with all of this behind-the-scenes foolishness for eight season.

We don’t know how the Harsin hire will work out. While he’s a proven winner and continued the success of Boise State after taking over for Chris Petersen, his lack of any experience in the SEC and being a head coach at a Power 5 school leaves a lot of question marks. As an assistant coach in the Mountain West told me on Tuesday night, it is like trying to put a square peg in a round hole.

Yet it could very easily work out and, after a coaching search that made Auburn look like it was run by a bunch of greedy lunatics, the hire is garnering some good press when the media was just waiting for a disaster.

We can thank Greene for that. He stepped up to the bullies that run Auburn like a personal playground and proved his worth.