Bryan Harsin: What they’re saying…

Bryan Harsin: What they’re saying…Bryan Harsin: What they’re saying…
Shanna Lockwood/AU Athletics

AUBURN, Ala. – What is Auburn getting in Bryan Harsin? 

Detail-oriented. Innovative. Character. A winning blue print. He wasn't scared of the challenge. 

Shortly after Harsin was announced as the next head coach for Auburn football, ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit tweeted, "Auburn not only hired a great coach, they got a GREAT man as well." 


It's clear that Herbstreit isn't alone in his thinking. Harsin, who spent the last seven seasons as the head coach at Boise State, has made a positive impression on a number of people along the way and based on talking with some of the prominent names in college football, the consensus is Auburn found the right man for the job. 

Chris Low, ESPN senior writer

Harsin was a guy that wasn't scared of the job and wanted the job. He didn't come in and demand this and that. He just said, 'Yeah, I think we can win big at Auburn. Auburn has won big before. We can come in and compete for championships.' Anybody now that wants to come in the SEC West period, but certainly in that same state as Alabama, it tells you that they've got a little something to them. And especially a guy like Harsin who had a good gig at Boise State. Bryan Harsin could have stayed at Boise State probably for the rest of his career. That's his home. That's where he played. But I think it also tells you something about him that he's not content. He wanted another challenge. He wasn't scared of the challenge. I think you sort of see that when he took the Boise State job in the first place, going in behind Chris Petersen. He was undaunted by that just as the same way I think he'll be undaunted by this challenge. 

Barrett Sallee, CBS college football writer

Harsin is one of those old school coaches who will demand respect and build around the line of scrimmage. He built a team that can dominate Mountain West teams in the trenches, but was smart enough to get ultra-creative at Boise State when he felt like his teams were playing teams with more talent. That's exactly the kind of coach Auburn needs as it attempts to rebuild its roster to the level of other teams in the SEC.

Tom Luginbill, ESPN analyst and national recruiting director

I've found Coach Harsin to be a very detail-oriented coach. He obviously has a winning blueprint that has proven to be tried and true. He's now going to have more resources at his disposal than he's ever had before, and this will accentuate his recruiting principles and practices to compete at a high level both on the field and in recruiting.

Adam Gorney, Rivals.com national recruiting analyst

I love this hire. Harsin is not just another recycled name making his latest round through the SEC. He's an innovative offensive coach with an excellent track record. He can recruit quarterbacks – he did really well at Boise State in that capacity. And he's going to bring a completely fresh perspective. In the last decade, Auburn has won a national title and played for another, a game the Tigers were leading with less than a minute left. The SEC West is getting tougher, but Harsin can get Auburn back to national contention.

Lauren Sisler, ESPN college football reporter

I was on the sidelines for ESPN for three Boise State games in 2019 and really enjoyed the opportunity to talk candidly with Bryan Harsin during our pregame meetings. The first word that comes to mind when I think about Coach Harsin is "character." It became very clear during our meetings, and from my observations on the sidelines, that character evaluations and development are a top priority for him and his coaching staff, and has really been a driving force behind his success as a head football coach. And on the topic of driving - as big race fan myself - I always enjoy hearing coach reminisce on his days at the dragstrip where he and his father used to race. College football and racing, two things that I know many sports fans love here in this great state!