Really, this “inside” look at the decision making process involved in hiring Auburn’s replacement for Gus Malzahn is more predictable than anything else, a dash of ass covering, a smidgen of finger pointing at anonymous power brokers and a touch of pumping up the independence of the AD and president (yeah, sure), but there is a touch of comedy gold buried in the middle of it all.
Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin interviewed on Monday and impressed those involved in the search. After years of watching quarterbacks struggle to develop once they arrived at Auburn, those involved in the search believe Harsin has the skills and track record to change that.
They grew weary of all the preseason Heisman Trophy candidate talk? I’m dying, Jerry.
By the way, if you want to know what really sealed the deal for Harsin, it’s in the very next sentence.
He had a minimal $250,000 buyout to leave Boise State, making him much more financially palatable than coaches like Oregon’s Mario Cristobal, who come with big buyouts on top of the $21.4 million Auburn must pay Malzahn.
I will give Auburn some credit. At least they have some vague awareness of the limits there, unlike, say, Tennessee.
Get The Picture 
All the silliness that is the Georgia Way is preferable to the clown shows that are our rival’s administrations.
LikeLiked by 3 people
I don’t have to tell you what the obvious rejoinder from an Auburn fan is, do I?
LikeLiked by 1 person
It would please me to read it?
LikeLike
I think it would include something about “40 years.”
LikeLiked by 2 people
Split Zone Duo had a great pod this week about it. Auburn is a goat rodeo.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am still trying to wrap my arms around giving a guy $21.5MM to do nothing for the next three years, without an extremely high confidence level that you can land your agreed upon first choice and if that falls through, the 2nd choice is a lock.
This guy wasn’t even on the list in the beginning. And now they expect him to come in and recruit in the SEC. Which leads me to what I think is coming next. They’ll come after Dell McGee in a big way. I think if you are Georgia, you protect your investment here, while keep Auburn at bay. This guy has proven to be a darn good recruiter (and not just at running back) and a solid coach.
And we haven’t even gotten around to what those idiots in Knoxville are going to do next. Who is getting fired there and how much coin are they going to have to pay a coaches to come there, considering how unstable that coaching roundtable (especially for assistant coaches) the last few years.
Kirby now had the third longest tenure in the SEC for a Head Coach at the same school. And the 4th longest tenure in the conference. His cause and effect since being at Georgia. All but Kentucky has seen coaching changes in the East since he arrived.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Spot on about McGee. Hardin has no recruiting ties of his own, so he needs them. Keeping McGee is a two fer. He’s doing a super job for us, and it keeps him away from a rival we’ve beaten 13 of the last 16 meetings. That grates on AU people, and I am happy to add to their displeasure.
LikeLike
Other than money and alma mater loyalty, why would McGee leave? He isn’t going to be the play caller. I’m betting Harsin is going to do all of that. He’s the running backs coach and run game coordinator at what is widely recognized as RBU.
McGee has the brand permission to go into any blue-chip running back’s home (virtually right now). Why would he give that up to go work for a coach who is probably going to be there 5 years tops?
LikeLiked by 1 person
As you say, I don’t think he’d be going over there to be the O-coordinator or playcaller anyway (which these days, is a sure kiss of death as you simply become the first “fall guy”), but who knows maybe Auburn will give him 250,000 (or more) reasons to move or something…
LikeLike
I bet for a bump like that Kirby is going to match.
LikeLike
Doesn’t he have some title at UGA ? Like assistant head coach ? Or something like that?
LikeLike
He doesn’t have the assistant head coach title. He had it for a year, but that was changed to run game coordinator after the Pitt Boss headed to Arkansas.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Here is my bold prediction…
This time next year McGee follows Monken to LSU after Coach O gets fired,
LikeLike
I doubt that. McGee’s loyalty is to Kirby not to Monken.
LikeLike
Although I doubt that one, it does lead me to think Monken is in a good spot to look for the right deal. And I dont think he wants to be the 2 year dumpster fire replacement coach.
LikeLike
Here’s to a not very yellow Christmas!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Don’t eat that yellow snow?
LikeLike
It’s their cesspool, let them swim in it…forever…#AUBURN SUCKS!
LikeLike
Those Auburn boosters have to be the biggest bunch of dumber-than-dumbfuck mouth breathers on the planet. Not only were they apparently chomping at the bit to announce to the world “Oops, we had a better coach on our staff the whole time,” they were willing to pay $21,400,000 for the privilege. Absolutely breathtaking.
You know, that wasn’t a very kind or cheery thing to say on Christmas Eve, so I’ll end with this: Congratulations, Coach Harsin, and welcome to the SEC! I’d be perfectly happy with you going 10–2 every year, long as the two losses are to Georgia and Bama. (Sorry, the GF’s a Tide fan.)
LikeLiked by 2 people
Who would be the Harsin equivalent had the Georgia “search” in 2015 turned out the same as this Auburn search?
LikeLike
Hard to say, given that Kirby (AFAIK) was really the only person seriously targeted. Maybe Dan Mullen? Even then, though, he’s got the advantage over Harsin of having established recruiting inroads in the southeast (even if he sucks at taking advantage of them).
LikeLike
I was thinking more along the line of someone really off the beaten path. But to your point it is hard to compare due to Richt’s firing being conditioned upon Smart already being in place.
It’s gonna be weird in Auburn.
LikeLike
Dang Doug, some of that info you don’t want to share 😮
LikeLike
My sincere hope is that Harsin is everything that Auburn deserves, in spades.
LikeLike
Clueless school president with too much time on his hands. Must’ve been living under a rock to not realize the same hand full of schools have been competing for championships since cfb began.
LikeLike
Oops. Wrong thread. This was for the Coastal Carolina Prez.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Eh, Auburn, Coastal Carolina … Pre-law, pre-med, what’s the difference?
LikeLike
Man I wish I was on Gus’s Christmas list this year.
LikeLiked by 2 people
10k would change my life hugely right now. Lol
LikeLike
The two fun details the article doesn’t cover are:
1. The top boosters can withhold money out of spite too, hindering the biggest pot for staff, or facilities. (What a shame)
2. Unless Harsin has a totally new staff, the easy rumor is he got the job because he agreed to keep (insert coach/coaches names) on staff and the better coaches wouldn’t.
LikeLike