Tag: Austin Davis

Former Auburn DC Derek Mason resigns from same role at Oklahoma State

Mason was a member of Bryan Harsin’s inaugural staff as defensive coordinator in 2021.

A former member of Auburn football’s coaching staff has decided to take time away from the field.

[autotag]Derek Mason[/autotag], who was a part of [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag]’s first staff in 2021, announced Thursday he was stepping down from his role as defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State.

In a tweet, Mason said he plans to take a sabbatical from coaching to spend more time with his family and pursue other opportunities within college football. In his tweet, he also took time to show gratitude to Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy, Cowboys players and Cowboys staff.

After spending one season on The Plains, Mason stepped down from his role as Auburn’s defensive coordinator on Feb. 7, 2022, to take the same role at Oklahoma State. His departure came at a strange time. One week before Mason’s departure, [autotag]Austin Davis[/autotag] resigned as offensive coordinator after just 43 days in the job.

Under Mason, Auburn’s defense allowed 372 yards per game, including 126 on the ground. The Tigers allowed an average of 21 points per game.

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Seahawks: Tracking reported changes to Pete Carroll’s 2022 coaching staff

The Seattle Seahawks have made several reported changes to Pete Carroll’s coaching staff over the last 24 hours.

The Seattle Seahawks have made several reported changes to Pete Carroll’s coaching staff over the last 24 hours.

Here’s a tracker covering all the moves that we know about so far.

Bryan Harsin expected to be retained, what’s next for Auburn?

Well, well, well how the turn tables.

It feels like this situation is moving swiftly by the second. After the future of head coach Bryan Harsin on the Plains looked grim, it appears that there could be light at the end of the tunnel.

According to a report from Pete Thamel and Chris Low of ESPN, Harsin is expected to be retained. An announcement should come later on Friday. This situation should be awkward at all right?

Take this with a grain of salt as we have seen other reports stating that a firing was ‘imminent’ and those haven’t come to fruition as of yet. Much like the football team, we will operate under the idea that it is business as usual. With that being said, what is next for Auburn and the football program?

Retain Zac Etheridge

Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

The first order of business for Bryan Harsin will be ensuring that cornerbacks coach Zac Etheridge stays on the Plains. It was recently reported that he was among the top candidates to take the same role with an SEC rival, the Georgia Bulldogs.

If recruiting was a growing concern under the watch of Harsin, losing his No. 1 recruiter would be a blow he can’t afford. Especially considering what has gone on over the last week with the head coach. Do whatever it takes but keeping Etheridge is priority No. 1.

What about priority No. 2?

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Bryan Harsin’s meeting with school officials was ‘benign’ per reports

Under two months until the “A-Game” and we still are no closer to an answer.

As it seems to be a daily ritual, we have another update on the Bryan Harsin saga. Frankly, it feels as though we are heading backward instead of forward.

While there has been no decision made, one report indicates that Bryan Harsin has met with school officials. According to the source, Harsin had a ‘benign’ meeting where no general direction has been indicated. Essentially the future status of the Auburn head coach remains up in the air.

Recently Pete Thamel reported that a decision could be made on Wednesday prior to the scheduled meeting between all SEC coaches, but that deadline has come and gone.

He attended the coaches meeting at SEC headquarters on Wednesday and upon his departure wouldn’t make any public comments on his job security. While Harsin’s future with the Tigers remains in doubt, there are other matters that need to be attended to within the football program.

Following the abrupt resignation of Austin Davis, Auburn remains without an offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. With the team set to play in the “A-Game” on Apr. 9, this gives them less than two months to get someone in place.

Most recently it was reported that Harsin was unable to get closure on what the numbers will look like for the replacement hire. With his vacation and the current investigation into his job status, this likely was put on the backburner for the time being. Given the team has five quarterbacks on the roster with no clear-cut starter for the 2022 season, they should pick up the pace on bringing in a new coordinator.

Or perhaps they plan on moving on from Harsin in which they would likely have to get a start on the head coach search. Either way, the clock is ticking on the administration.

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Every coach that has joined and departed Auburn this offseason

A look at each move on the coaching staff.

Bryan Harsin, who has been at Auburn for just 14 months, is apparently in jeopardy of lasting one season as Auburn’s head coach and the amount of turnover on both his staff and on the roster is apparently being used against him.

In this era of college football, there is more and more roster movement and this is becoming an integral part of the sport. So this can be something tricky to hold against one coach when it is something affecting the sport.

With that being said, where there is smoke there can be fire. So let’s look at the coaches that have both joined and left Auburn since the start of last season.

Bryan Harsin unable to get clarity on next coordinator hire

Bryan Harsin is reportedly frustrated with one aspect, as he should be.

We sure aren’t feeling as good about the football program as the basketball program right now. Tension has reached a fever pitch under the watch of head coach Bryan Harsin down on the plains. The timing of what some are calling a witch hunt is a little odd.

The Tigers recently wrapped up their 2022 recruiting class on Wednesday, but Auburn didn’t sign any high school prospects on that day. The head coach was in Mobile for the Senior Bowl practices before heading out of the country on vacation. In his absence, the floodgates have opened. More specifically in regards to coordinator hires.

According to this report from ESPN (subscription required), Harsin was trying to get clarity on the pool of money for his next hire. The Auburn head coach is looking to replace his fifth coordinator after Austin Davis stepped down as the offensive coordinator. He lasted just 34 days on the job as Davis stepped away for personal reasons.

The report states that Harsin grew frustrated with the lack of transparency from the leadership at Auburn. When he was unable to get answers on salary parameters, he wanted to speak with the Auburn Board of Trustees but outgoing school president Jay Gogue didn’t think that was in the best interests of the coach.

As it always seems to be the case, it feels like the administration and athletic department are on opposite ends of the spectrum.

“Auburn is always going through transition in leadership,” said an industry source familiar with the school’s inner-workings. “Therefore there’s no way to ever tell who is in control.”

While the leadership at Auburn is trying to separate fact from fiction when it comes to the speculation surrounding Harsin, they have also tied his hands in being able to do his job.

There should be clarity coming soon but for now, it seems like there are far more questions than answers. The big question is who is really making the call here? We will just have to wait and see.

What we think we know about the Bryan Harsin situation

There is a lot to unpack here on the head coach situation.

Despite having the No. 1 men’s basketball team in the country, which is looking for the 19th straight win, all anyone is discussing around Auburn is the head coach that is under fire. A look at what we think we know about Bryan Harsin as he has been put under the microscope.

It was first reported on Thursday that the head coach’s future was in doubt. While not getting into what is rumored we will stick with the known facts. Ever since that report was released Harsin has come under intense scrutiny from all directions.

It put current and former players against each other. Players such as tight end John Samuel Shenker came to his defense. While others such as former 2021 signee Lee Hunter went right after the character of the head coach. Hunter stated that Harsin has a great coach mentality but poor people skills. Paraphrasing but you get the idea.

It has been a lot of he said, he said when it comes to the head coach. That usually wouldn’t mean let’s run the man out of town, but when it is being addressed by the Auburn brass that says something. Athletic director Allen Greene addressed it with several players who are viewed as leaders on the team.

“Auburn AD Allen Greene met with seven or eight veteran players this evening to address the uncertainty around Bryan Harsin’s future”, Pete Thamel tweeted. “He delivered a simple message — stay the course and control what you can control, as there’s no clarity. (The) team operating as normal.”

On Friday at the Auburn Board of Trustees meeting, the situation was addressed by the outgoing Auburn president Jay Gogue. “There have been a lot of rumors and speculation about our football program”, Gogue said. “I just want you to know we’re involved in trying to separate fact from fiction.”

It is never a good sign for a head coach going into year two that his future is in doubt. The issue is compounded by the fact that it seems like no one is on the same page on the Plains. From the head coach to his coordinators to the players on the team. You can include the administration in that group.

Can Bryan Harsin survive this? ESPN insider Chris Low, who had an interview with Harsin, was on ‘The Paul Finebaum Show’ and addressed the likeliness of Harsin making it to year two.

“I’ve done this long enough to know when the genie gets out of the bottle like this, rarely does a coach survive,” Low said. “Ultimately I think that’s what’s going to happen with Bryan Harsin.”

Where this situation heads from here is a little bit of an unknown. Given what has transpired since the early signing day is only exacerbated by how the season ultimately came to a close.

The team blew multiple double-digit leads, including allowing 40 unanswered against Mississippi State during the five-game losing streak to close the season. Harsin will be looking to add his fifth coordinator after recently hired Austin Davis resigned under circumstances he called “personal reasons.” Couple that with Derek Mason stepping down from his post as defensive coordinator for a lateral move to Oklahoma State.

We have also heard that if they move on from Harsin, they will be looking to do so with cause. This would allow Auburn to avoid Harsin’s buyout, on top of the one they are already paying former head coach Gus Malzahn. Paying two coaches to not coach is a lot. Especially when Harsin’s number is north of $18 million. It would be the highest buyout of any coach in this cycle, surpassing LSU’s Ed Orgeron, who is getting $17 million to leave the school he led to a national championship in 2019.

Auburn fans and the team should get closure soon on the situation, but all signs point to the Tigers looking for a new head coach in 2022. If Bryan Harsin does indeed return for next season, even more pressure will be on the head coach.

Ex-Seahawks QB coach Austin Davis resigns as Auburn offensive coordinator

Former Seattle Seahawks QB coach Austin Davis was hired as Auburn’s offensive coordinator in December but resigned for personal reasons.

Former Seattle Seahawks quarterbacks coach Austin Davis was named as the Auburn Tigers’ new offensive coordinator on Dec. 18 and he has already stepped down from the position.

Tigers coach Bryan Harsin made the announcement on Monday.

Davis issued the following statement, per ESPN:

My decision to resign is 100 percent based on personal reasons. After more than a decade in the NFL with the daily grind as a player and coach I’ve realized how much I miss my family and my desire to spend more time with them. While I need to step away from coaching, I can’t say enough about the first-class way I was welcomed into the Auburn family and the way this football program is run with a championship mindset and a focus on developing these young men into winners on and off the field.

Davis was on the Seahawks roster in 2017 and was hired as the assistant quarterbacks coach in 2019. He was promoted the next year and spent 2020 and 2021 as Seattle’s QB coach.

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Looking at Pete Carroll’s other quarterback coaches while at Seattle

The more you look at it, the more sense the Austin Davis hire makes.

There are a lot of questions about the uncertainty behind Bryan Harsin’s decision to hire Austin Davis as Auburn’s next offensive coordinator.

Since Davis hasn’t been a coordinator at any level and has not had to recruit during his time as a coach, there is not a ton to base an opinion on other than to look at what previous quarterback coaches under Pete Carroll have done while he’s been in Seattle.

Here’s some information that I found.

2010 – Jeff Fisch

  • Seattle made it to the playoffs that season.
  • 2011-2012 – Miami Hurricanes OC/QBs
  • 2013-2014 – Jax OC
  • 2015-2016 – Michigan QB/WR/Passing game coordinator
  • 2018-2019 – LA Rams assistant
  • 2020 – New England QB coach
  • 2021 – Head coach at Arizona

2011-2017 – Carl Smith

  • Seattle had an awesome run during this time.
  • 2018 – Seattle Associate head coach
  • 2019 Houston QB coach
  • 2021- Seattle Associate head coach

2018-2019 – Dave Canales

  • Got promoted to Seahawks passing game coordinator

Once again, nothing concrete. I think this information backs up the opinion and the narrative that Carroll knows what he’s doing when hiring guys. Whether they move on and become head coaches or offensive coordinators elsewhere or he does what he can to keep guys in the Seattle Seahawks organization.

Talking with people in Seattle, it seems like he will be missed in the organization and no one seems to be more upset with him leaving than quarterback Russell Wilson.

Wilson quoted tweeted Auburn’s tweet wishing him luck shortly after the decision was made public.

The fact that Wilson has so much respect for Davis, a guy who used to be his backup and is actually younger than Wilson, says a ton about the type of coach Harsin went out and hired.

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Auburn officially announces Austin Davis as their offensive coordinator

It’s official.

The following is a press release from Auburn Athletics.

AUBURN, Ala.—Austin Davis, a seven-year National Football League veteran and current quarterbacks coach for the Seattle Seahawks, has been named offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Auburn, head coach Bryan Harsin announced Saturday. A former two-time All-Conference USA quarterback at Southern Miss, Davis has spent the last three seasons with the Seahawks, working closely with eight-time Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson.

A native of Meridian, Miss., Davis played in the NFL for St. Louis, Cleveland, Denver, Seattle and Tennessee before joining the coaching ranks in February 2019 as an offensive assistant with the Seahawks before being promoted to quarterbacks coach in 2020.

“From the first conversation I had with Austin, you could just feel his passion for coaching and teaching the game,” Harsin said. “He’s spent the past 10 years as a player or coach in the NFL, bringing that experience from the highest level into our offensive and quarterback rooms. He’s learned and been around some of the best in the business and has been on an upward trajectory since joining the coaching ranks. We can’t wait to get him teamed up with the rest of our staff.”

In Davis’ first season as quarterbacks coach, Wilson continued to elevate his command of the offense, throwing for more than 4,000 yards for the fourth time in his career and setting franchise record for touchdown passes (40), completions (384), and completion percentage (68.8) in 2020. Wilson earned NFC Offensive Player of the Month for September and was voted to his eighth Pro Bowl. Wilson finished 2020 with 267 career touchdown passes, second only to Peyton Manning for most touchdown passes through a player’s first nine seasons.

“I’m honored and privileged to be the next Offensive Coordinator at Auburn University and to be a part of an elite staff led by Coach Harsin,” Davis said. “Being born and raised in Mississippi, you know very well what SEC football is all about and I couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity that is before me. I’ve been very fortunate to work for one of the best organizations in all of sports and would like to extend a special thanks to Pete Carroll and John Schneider for believing in me as a young coach. I can’t wait to get down to the Plains and get to work. War Eagle, y’all.”

During his first year with the organization in 2019, Wilson earned his first All-Pro honors while passing for 4,110 yards and 31 touchdowns while completing 66.1 percent of his passes. This season, the Seattle offense is eighth in the league in completion percentage (67.0), fifth in yards per completion (11.7) and tied for the league lead in fewest interceptions throw while seeing Wilson miss three games with an injury.

An undrafted free agent who had a seven-year career in the NFL, Davis started 10 of 16 career games played, completing 236 of 378 passes for 2,548 yards, with 13 touchdowns. His most successful year as a player was the 2014 season in which he started eight games for the St. Louis Rams, where he threw for 12 touchdowns while completing 64.3 percent of his passes. In 2017, Davis served as Wilson’s backup in Seattle.

A walk-on at Southern Miss under head coach Larry Fedora, he became the starter as a redshirt freshman in 2008, ending the season with a combined 15 school single-game and single-season records. He led the Golden Eagles to a bowl game victory in the New Orleans Bowl and was selected to the freshman All-Conference USA team and earned a freshman All-American honorable mention by College Football News.

After having his sophomore season cut short due to injury after five games, Davis returned in 2010, throwing for 3,103 yards with 20 touchdowns against just six interceptions while running for another 452 yards and 10 touchdowns. In the Papajohns.com Bowl against Louisville, Davis passed Brett Favre on the school’s passing touchdown record list.

As a senior, Davis led the Golden Eagles to a C-USA Eastern Division championship and a spot in the conference championship game. Davis ended the 2011 season throwing for 3,496 yards and 30 touchdowns, both school records.

Davis, who threw for 10,898 yards and 83 touchdowns while accounting for 109 scores in his four-year career at USM still owns 10 school records.

He was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 2012 MLB Draft in the 31st round. His brother, Bo, played for the San Diego Padres.