Tag: Jay Gogue

Bryan Harsin releases statement on his return for 2022

“This has been one of the hardest weeks of my career” – Harsin releases a statement upon his confirmation of returning in 2022.

After it was reported that Bryan Harsin would indeed be retained as the head coach of the Auburn Tigers football program, president Jay Gogue and Harsin released statements on Friday.

I am pleased to report that the evaluation of concerns raised regarding our football program is complete. I am equally pleased to confirm that Bryan Harsin remains our head football coach. – Gogue on Harsin

We can finally put to bed the speculation surrounding his job status and focus on the task at hand. The football program has work to do ahead of beginning spring football in the coming months. There is still the matter of addressing the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach vacancy, as well as trying to retain cornerbacks coach Zac Etheridge.

The full statement from Bryan Harsin:

Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics

This has been one of the hardest weeks of my career and it had nothing to do with my coaching ability. The personal attacks on me and my family went too far and were without justification. Their resolve through this experience has been incredible but also completely expected. We saw and felt the worst of the worst in some people. Fortunately, we also saw the best of the best in others and we will always be grateful for the support of so many through a very difficult time – our players, staff, the Auburn family, and many others.

I know who I am as a husband, father and football coach and cooperated fully throughout this process. I believe that every challenge in life is an opportunity to grow and learn. This is no different. Every day we’re not moving forward together is a step in the wrong direction. In order for us to take the Auburn program where we all want it to go we must, at all levels, commit to each other and this great university that we all love. I’m confident we can get there under the leadership of Dr. Gogue, incoming President Roberts, Allen Greene, and our Board of Trustees.

I’m proud to be your head coach and appreciate the opportunity to lead the incredible group of young men in our locker room. War Eagle!

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 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.

Auburn fans have grown tired of the ‘good ol’ boy’ system

Auburn alumni and fans are tired of the same people running and ruining the football program over and over again.

For years, Auburn has been branded to the world as a family, but really it’s more of an avaricious autocracy where only big money talks.

When it comes to decisions regarding football, only a select group of individuals seem to be heard and whatever they say goes.

These individuals are notorious for sticking their dirty little hands where they don’t belong, and now they have single-handedly converted Auburn’s head coaching search into a clown show. They’re doing it all for the sake of control and access to exclusive perks that neither you nor I will ever see. Not because they love Auburn. Ego fragility at its finest.

We’re witnessing a coup of epic proportions on The Plains. Before Gus Malzahn was fired on Sunday, these guys knew who they wanted and they wouldn’t need to go far to find him. They had their eyes set on Kevin Steele because, according to them, Steele has the characteristics Auburn needs to revert back to the old glory days of the 1980s.

It’s not like football has advanced or anything in the last 40 years. Auburn  facilities sure haven’t. As I said before, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand why Auburn continues to fall behind other SEC schools in recruiting  battles. Since 1989, Auburn football practice facilities have been located at the Auburn Athletics Complex, which is shared by numerous sports. Auburn football is ranked in the bottom half of the SEC in terms of facilities, and its new football-only complex, which should have been a brainchild a long time ago, is set for completion in 2022.

On Tuesday, athletic director Allen Greene and President Jay Gogue  announced the university had established an advisory committee who would cooperate with the Parker Executive Search Firm out of Atlanta to assist in finding Auburn’s next head coach. It was also around this time the public found out Greene would have virtually zero say in selecting Auburn’s next head coach, and the decision would fall to the hands of the big money boosters and ultimately Gogue himself.

This charade between these three boosters and Auburn University is so predictable it’s worse than a Hallmark Christmas movie. By Wednesday, the apathetic fan grew enraged when it was revealed the boosters planned to shove the hiring of Steele down their throats. The news ignited a revolution. By midnight on Thursday, #StopSteele was trending on Twitter, and Auburn players past and present began making it clear who they wanted to see as Auburn’s next head coach.

Here we are six days removed from the firing of Gus Malzahn. It’s been revealed current Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian is lined up to interview on Sunday. Louisiana head coach Billy Napier and Clemson offensive coordinator Tony Elliot are also scheduled to meet with Auburn in the coming days. But it’s also been reinforced that the “good ol’ boy” boosters are 110% committed to hiring Steele.

Hiring Steele reaffirms the message Auburn isn’t a family, but an institution run by the good ol’ boy system. The ramifications of this will be immediate. Greene will probably run for the hills. I mean, could you blame him? Two players have entered the transfer portal this week while recruiting is in shambles. Oh, and an already lethargic fan base will plunge even further into the depths of disinterest.

We were tired in 2003 after Bobby Lowder’s “JetGate.” We were tired in 2008 after Jay Jacobs escorted a head coach with a 5-19 record into Auburn to the chorus of, “We want a leader not a loser!”

We’re outright exhausted now.