The problem with Auburn football doesn’t involve a football. Let’s start with last season. I get it. You go 6-7, lose the Iron Bowl on a heartbreaker, and end up in the Birmingham Bowl… and lose that too. We can all see what that looks like to some, and the frustration there is understandable. But here’s where things get a little out of hand, it was Bryan Harsin‘s first year.
We can bring up that never-ending Iron Bowl argument that will forever compare Alabama and Auburn and which coach did what. That’s just what we do. So, let’s revisit Nick Saban’s first year at Alabama. Saban went 7-6. Not to mention that 21-14 L I, unfortunately, got to witness in person to Louisiana Monroe. Alabama also lost the Iron Bowl for the sixth straight year in a row. Fast forward to year two for Saban, the Tide gained its first number one AP ranking since 1980. The rest is history.
Auburn Jesus, Is That You?
I can understand fan frustration because that’s what we do in the South. We thrive on college football. The part I can’t understand, however, is the amount of Harsin slander thrown around. I’m well aware that Harsin was supposed to come in and save the Auburn football program like some Auburn Jesus, but let’s be realistic. We all know what kind of show Gus Malzahn was running. Not to take anything away from him, but I’m sure it was a relief for the Auburn loyal to switch gears to more of a hard body program. That was the appeal of the Harsin hire. He’s rough, tough, and zero BS, and as we’ve witnessed, some were not in favor of the tough love.
Besides some former players expressing their disdain for Harsin’s approach, seems the consensus is a 50/50 split. For some to speak out against him, and never played a down for him, is a baffling concept, though, might I add. Also, those who spoke out against him because the coach that recruited them isn’t around anymore, and their playing time would have to be earned when it boils down to it. Oh no, what a scary thought for the Bo Nixes of the world.
The “Fire Harsin” Crowd
Let’s rewind for the “Fire Harsin” crowd. Is it because he’s ‘mean’? Is it because he ‘can’t recruit’ because we’ve clearly seen that he can? Or is it that “scandal” that mysteriously disappeared just as quickly as it showed up? Leaves you really to wonder what the ordeal is. It can’t come based on Harsin’s coaching ability. No one has seen him coach an Auburn team he recruited and built. And let’s face it, we’ve seen Auburn hang on to far worse in the coaching department and have never seen them jump ship after one season.
What’s really fueling the outrage? Nobody can really be that mad a first-year coach didn’t set fire to the rain with someone else’s recruits, can they? Or could it be that Harsin is going to coach Harsin’s way? Auburn FINALLY hired somebody that can’t be toyed with, and that’s a new concept for some, obviously. Harsin is going to run his program the way HE wants to, and that’s ultimately what Auburn needed… some balls. The attempts to ruin this man and his reputation haven’t led to anything but everyone looking goofy. I mean, from top to bottom, GOOFY.
The Imminent Auburn Booster Debacle
The biggest goofs, besides the ‘twittiots’ is Auburn’s boosters. You lose a president, try to slander your football coach, and then lose the Athletic Director that went against your opinion and hired those he saw fit to lead your football program. It isn’t coincidental. It isn’t coincidental this is the same pack of individuals who forced out Tommy Tuberville and had to cough up $4 mil. Let me dig into that real quick:
The Buyouts:
Tuberville went 85-40 during his decade tenure at Auburn, went 8-2 against Alabama, and put some SEC hardware in the trophy case. And not to mention, that 2004 season an undefeated Auburn was left out of the BCS National Championship game. But what happened? Tubs had a bad season and lost the Iron Bowl 36-0, while the trustees had already worked up a plan to hire Bobby Petrino but got exposed before they could get their hands in.
The same goes for Terry Bowden. Bowden had a 47-17-1 record on the Plains. A faulty 1998 season led to his demise mid-season and ended in a $620,000 buyout from Auburn. Google his relationship with trustee Bobby Lowden on your downtime.
Gene Chizik went 33-19 at Auburn, won a national championship with an undefeated 2010 Auburn squad, and put Alabama in a world of hurt more than once. Ultimately, Auburn wanted to shell out that $7.5 million buyout and move on.
The “Gus Bus”
Enter Gus Malzahn. Malzahn ended his ride at Auburn with a 68-35 record. He went 3-5 against Alabama, with one of those Iron Bowl victories securing him an extension. Oh, and that natty he scored in 2013. Again, Auburn ended with a $21.5 million buyout. So, you’d think, just my opinion here, that after all of this money spent, Auburn wouldn’t be so quick to try and out a guy after his first season with Malzahn’s marshmallow recruits.
The Problem at Auburn is Auburn
But here we are; last I checked, it would be a good $18 mil if they would’ve fired Harsin without cause before this season. Attempting to ruin the man’s vacation and stirring up a ’cause’ didn’t work, so now we’re here watching a man coach a team with fans bashing his every move who have never coached a football game in their lives, expecting him to win every game for said team, a band of boosters waiting for him to slip up and the AD who put his foot on the necks of the trustees for him out the door.
Auburn is causing its own problems. If they want to run a pillow-soft program for the rest of their existence, keep paying coaches to coach elsewhere, have a locker room full of crybabies, occasionally win an Iron Bowl, and capitalize on moral victories forever, they’re doing a good job. Goofs.
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2 Comments
If you think Harsin can recruit, you should absolutely not be writing about football. Check your stats, he has had the worst recruiting class at Auburn since, well forever. Bottom in the Sec
Agreed this article, like so many of our fan base has no idea about the so called “Boosters.” They make accusations on a select few individuals that have been involved with Auburn athletics before most were even born. Successful programs in the SEC costs lots of money, but this money goes well beyond athletics. Many University employees depend on the income of the athletic department. When it suffers so do the people that employed by the university. Boosters directly help support this system and do not simply give millions without have some say in how their money is used/ spent. When an Athletics director deliberately goes against the grain and make a hire without the input from the board of directors and this coach does not make sufficient efforts to recruit and we get a season like this, then DO NOT BLAME the boosters. If you do not want their input , then do not cash their checks! the boosters are going to be a part of this program until Auburn refused to take their money. they are here to stay and any coach had better get used to that fact. Either play nicely together or get fired like Harsin is about to learn.