Auburn coach Bryan Harsin fired his offensive coordinator on a Monday before two of the most important weeks on the recruiting calendar. It either presents a major problem for the Tigers or it was a great strategic move, depending on two competing perspectives. Competing perspectives are an Auburn football tradition, so this latest drama isn’t really anything new. It’s just the continuation of messy as usual.
Problem: the early signing period begins on Dec.15.
With a fortnight remaining until the large majority of four- and five-star recruits sign with their preferred schools, Auburn is currently ranked 12th out of 14 teams in the SEC. (But really Harsin’s Auburn Tigers are 14th out of 16 teams with this 2022 signing class having to compete against future SEC members Texas and Oklahoma.)
“Great strategic move” perspective: Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo wasn’t really helping Auburn as a recruiter anyway (for reasons stated above) and also on Monday, the day that Coach Blown-Lead Bryan fired his OC, injured Auburn quarterback Bo Nix said during an interview that he wasn’t sure if staying at Auburn was the best move for his future.
Maybe Nix will stay at Auburn now that his future will include yet another offensive coordinator. Maybe he’ll just go pro after breaking his leg his junior season. Maybe he’ll transfer to Jacksonville State and play for new Gamecocks coach Rich Rodriguez. Whatever he chooses, Nix, who was groomed from birth to lead Auburn football as its quarterback, will be playing for his fourth offensive coordinator in four years.
Here’s the cold reality of Auburn on the final day of November 2021. It has failed to provide Nix with the best tools for his future, and so now the quarterback who defeated Alabama his freshman season doesn’t know what to do while recovering from a broken ankle.
Don’t let the competing perspectives of Auburn’s perpetual football drama confuse you because here’s the reality of Auburn’s situation. This is all on Harsin, the head coach who jumped into the deep end without knowing how to swim. He has two weeks to close on recruits but now doesn’t have an offensive coordinator to help him do it. He was advertised as a quarterback whisperer, but Nix has apparently heard enough.
Auburn fired Gus Malzahn because his teams were inconsistent. The Tigers now have a coach whose team blew three double-digit leads to end the season, including an Iron Bowl in Jordan-Hare Stadium that Alabama had no business winning. Nix’s concerns about his future, Auburn’s current recruiting class and the Tigers’ wretched second halves are not signs of stability.
Here’s what we know about Harsin after his first season at Auburn. He hired a great defensive coordinator. Clearly, Derek Mason has his side of the football building in good working order after Year One. Harsin’s wing of house is in disarray. Maybe another fired SEC coach can come in and run the offense. Dan Mullen isn’t doing anything over the holidays.
If we’re grading Auburn’s football coach after his first season, the facts speak for themselves. He’s failing. Auburn went 6-6 overall and 3-5 in the SEC, lost its final four games, blew historically awful leads to Mississippi State, South Carolina and Alabama, finished sixth in the SEC West and the recruiting class is far off the pace of Auburn’s rivals. Alabama’s 2022 recruiting class is ranked second nationally. Georgia is ranked first. Texas A&M is third. Auburn is listed at 33rd between West Virginia and Baylor.
