Tag: Board of Trustees

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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Bryan Harsin offers no public comments following his departure from SEC HQ

This situation needs to come to an end one way or another.

The Bryan Harsin watch moves on. At this point, you have to feel for the Auburn Tigers head football coach who learned of his job security coming under question while out of the country.

Harsin returned from vacation on Wednesday and attended the coaches meeting at SEC headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama. Media staked out the two known entrances to the building on Wednesday morning in hopes of getting a quote from the embattled head coach to no avail.

Harsin and Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin opted to use the side door to enter the facility for the meeting.

Upon the completion of the meeting, Harsin headed out to his vehicle for departure. While being asked about his job status, he offered no public comment while looping around a vehicle and climbing into a black SUV.

This situation involving head coach Bryan Harsin and the Auburn football program needs to come to a resolution. Either the Board of Trustees and the administration move on from Harsin or allow him to do his job as the head coach. It is more than just one man’s job at stake here. There are careers and livelihoods of many men and women at stake with this decision.

The big losers in this whole situation outside of the players, coaches, and staff members, are the fans. They are having to re-live a battle between boosters, administration, and the coaching staff that they have seen far too many times.

Bryan Harsin expected to attend SEC coaches meeting, new policy update

Too many turns on this ride, can we get off now?

Well, if you didn’t think the situation on the Plains revolving around Auburn Tigers head coach Bryan Harsin could get any more intense, it has.

With each passing day, while the head coach was on vacation out of the country, speculation ran wild about when the Board of Trustees and outgoing school president Jay Gogue might make the move. He was expected back on Wednesday, the day before the SEC coaches meet in Birmingham, Alabama.

No move was made on Wednesday and 247Sports’ analyst Brandon Marcello reports that Harsin will indeed be in attendance at the meeting. That is an interesting development.

While the Auburn football coach is planning on being there, did the Auburn Board of Trustees put in a new policy to relieve him of his duties?

We found out on Wednesday that a new policy went into effect on Feb. 8, just one day prior to Bryan Harsin’s expected return to Auburn.

The university conducts a variety of investigations and reviews in order to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and policies and to otherwise ensure the integrity and proper functioning of the university. These reviews may be conducted by university personnel or outside entities engaged by the university. Employee cooperation in these reviews is essential and mandatory.

Here is the key part of the new policy, “Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.” It appears they have put this into play to fire Harsin for cause, which would avoid having to pay his buy-out. Harsin would be given a buy-out of $18 million if he was fired without cause.

One thing is for sure, this could get real messy with lawyers involved if they proceed to terminate their head coach. All signs point to when not if it happens. Until it actually does, it is business as usual for the football team.

Auburn Arena will now be known as Neville Arena

More changes to the Auburn basketball facilities.

More changes coming to Auburn Arena, and we aren’t just talking about the facility upgrades that were recently approved by the Board of Trustees.

According to a release from the Auburn athletics department, the Tigers are changing the name of their basketball facility. The name will be changing from Auburn Arena to Neville Arena as of Mar. 4.

A dedication marking the official name change from Auburn Arena to Neville Arena will take place March 4 at the venue, with an on-court recognition March 5 during men’s basketball’s regular season finale vs. South Carolina.

Neville Arena, opened in 2010 with a seating capacity of 9,121, will be named after Bill and Connie Neville, members of the Pat Dye Society, Tigers Unlimited’s highest level of giving.

“We wanted to do something special for men’s basketball because it’s become such another amazing Auburn experience,” Bill Neville said.  “The fact that we can benefit so many student-athletes, students, and members of the Auburn family was our primary inspiration. We’re honored that Auburn would consider us.”

“It’s a remarkable time for Auburn Basketball,” Connie Neville said. “Coach Pearl has built a wonderful program, bringing excitement and enjoyment to the arena. We are very humbled to be able to make this gift.”

The change in the venue’s name comes after the single-largest gift donation in Auburn history from the Neville’s. The Board of Trustees also recently approved the upgrades to the basketball facility including a new practice add-on to the eventually renamed Neville Arena.

One analyst believes the Bryan Harsin discussion boils down to recruiting

So now we are blaming the recruiting, goal posts keep moving.

While the Bryan Harsin watch continues into Monday, everyone is weighing in on what is going down on the plains. Some believe the administration wants to move on from the head coach at any cost. But why are we at this point?

There are wild accusations on just about every college football message board. They have grown legs to the point outgoing school president Jay Gogue addressed the situation at a Board of Trustees meeting. The administration was addressing “future litigation matters” behind closed doors on Friday. Everyone can read between the lines, this had everything to do with the head coach.

According to the latest from Andy Staples of The Athletic, he believes this boils down to recruiting. He addressed it in his latest article on the Harsin situation (subscription required). Before you roll your eyes on that comment, let’s take a look at the premise here.

The answers may or may not help separate the fact from the fiction. But there is one fact that no one will or can dispute, and it probably explains better than any other why Harsin’s job is at stake so early in his tenure. If we want to make it as simple as possible, we can boil it down to one number.

No. 141.

That is the highest ranking on the 247Sports composite of any of Auburn’s signees in the class of 2022.

Shouldn’t Harsin have more time to establish his recruiting ties before he gets judged too harshly?

History says we can render a verdict on Harsin as a recruiter right now.

What exactly are we doing here?

More often than not when media, fans, or pundits call for a change at head coach due to lack of recruiting, it usually bleeds onto the field. However, in this instance, the administration could want change at the head coach because of one class. It is a tale as old as time: The brass is having buyer’s remorse.

The issue here, for me anyway, is holding Harsin accountable after one class. That one class finished in the top 20 of the 247Sports composite team rankings. Why should they hold Harsin to a higher standard than previous coaches? Staples mentions a top-five class being the measuring stick, that’s the bar.

Since 2000 the Auburn Tigers have secured a top-five class once: 2011. They have been close, but the Tigers haven’t shown the ability to consistently recruit at that top-five level other schools have.

Seems as though this is just another scapegoat to get rid of a coach the board never wanted in the first place.

Auburn tight end has a strong message for Bryan Harsin’s detractors

John Samuel Shenker goes to bat for his head coach.

Not everyone is piling on the current head coach of the Auburn Tigers. Tight end John Samuel Shenker, who returned for another season with the Tigers went to bat for his head coach.

“Listen and Listen Carefully: Coach Harsin is my football coach! He is the leader I want to have in my corner,” Shenker tweeted. “If you have a problem with his Discipline, Toughness, and Conviction that he instills in his players then get your entitled, selfish, and soft tail out away this program.”

It is clear that Shenker wants to continue his collegiate career under Bryan Harsin, despite the scrutiny his head coach is receiving. Shenker went on to say that he wants to be in the foxhole with guys that support their head football coach.

Shenker saw a significant increase in playing time under Harsin in 2021. He appeared in 12 games with 33 receptions for 413 yards. He did fail to score a touchdown and has two of those in his career. He averaged 12.5 yards per reception in his first year under Harsin.

Many former players have spoken out about Harsin recently and they are on both sides of the fence. Auburn is in the process of investigating and separating fact from fiction when it comes to its head coach.

No decision is expected at this time but the situation remains fluid to say the very least. It could change as more information is presented. For now, it appears that some of the current roster still backs their head coach with a lot of negative outside noise surrounding the program.

Auburn Board of Trustees approve upgrades to Auburn Arena

Here is some good news for the day. Upgrades coming.

It appears that some good news is coming the way of the No. 1 basketball team in the country. On Friday the Auburn Board of Trustees met to discuss upgrades to Auburn Arena and a new practice facility.

According to the report from Tom Green of AL.com, the recently extended head coach will have the facilities needed to continue recruiting at a high level. Auburn is pouring its resources into the basketball program to help keep them in the national spotlight, not just for this season. The top programs around the country invest in basketball and now the Tigers will do the same.

On Friday, the university took a step toward making sure the pieces are in place for Pearl to continue to succeed on the Plains. Auburn’s Board of Trustees, during its meeting Friday morning on the AUM campus in Montgomery, unanimously approved proposed facility upgrades at Auburn Arena.

The upgrades include a new practice gym built onto the arena, as well as renovations to the team support space and to the women’s locker room area within the facility.

Head coach Bruce Pearl recently signed a contract extension to keep him at Auburn through the 2030 season. After a trip to Athens on Saturday and Fayetteville on Tuesday, Pearl and the Tigers will return home to host Texas A&M next Saturday. The team looking to continue its winning streak as they race to the SEC Tournament as the No. 1 seed.