Auburn football: 5 reasons why Bryan Harsin hire was a genius move

In a move many have lauded, Auburn football has hired Bryan Harsin as the team’s new head coach. The War Eagle lists 5 reasons why this was a genius hire.

People of the Plains, the higher-ups of the Auburn football program listened.

After conducting a search via a search committee, the ideal candidate has been placed in the hot seat as the coach of the Tigers: the great Bryan Harsin.

Harsin comes with head coaching experience from Boise State and Arkansas State, where he went a combined 69-19 as a head coach. Interestingly enough, in 2013, Harsin got his first head coaching job in college football replacing…one Gus Malzahn.

The more things change, the more things stay the same.

Of course, Malzahn left Arkansas State because there was a better opportunity waiting on the Plains. This time, he leaves the program after several verbal missteps this season revealed a schism between Malzahn and the Auburn football higher-ups.

Either way, this was a genius hire, and here’s why:

1. Kevin Steele was not hired

Quite honestly, the idea that Kevin Steele went behind Gus Malzahn’s back and made a play to stage a full-on coup d’etat rubs the War Eagle the wrong way. After years of providing Malzahn stability as the defensive coordinator, Steele wanted to prove that he can awaken an Auburn offense that lacked imagination and creativity beyond Tank Bigsby HB dives and short tosses by Bo Nix to the flat.

That he wasn’t chosen after conducting an external search makes me happier than a turn down Shug Jordan Parkway on game day.

2. He knows how to run an offense

al.com’s Tom Green listed a few reasons why Harsin’s offense has been so successful:

"Harsin’s offenses at Boise State have been productive, even if they haven’t been as explosive as some of the offenses we’ve seen proliferate across the SEC in recent years. During his time as the Broncos’ head coach, Harsin’s offenses have never finished worse than 38th nationally in points per game, though they’ve typically performed better than that. In 2014, Boise State had the nation’s No. 9 scoring offense at 39.7 points per game. The Broncos were 15th at 39.1 points per game the following season, and they produced two more top-20 offenses during his tenure — in 2018 (20th; 35.4 points) and 2019 (19th; 34.7 points)."

Harsin’s teams have never had a problem scoring points, which is perfect because Auburn football was nothing close to a powerhouse offense in 2020–it’s never a good look when the Charlotte 49ers and Rutgers are scoring more points per game than you.

An immediate improvement in the creativity of the offense could move the needle significantly for the Tigers. Harsin provides that in spades.

3. He can help improve the passing game

Green also mentioned the success of Harsin’s most talented quarterback, Kellen Moore. While Moore ended up becoming an NFL quarterback and now coaches the Dallas Cowboys quarterback group–Bo Nix is more than likely never going to sniff an NFL starting job–there is every reason to believe Harsin’s imaginative offense will produce more highlights through the air for second-year quarterback.

4. He isn’t afraid to take risks

There isn’t a much better way to explain Harsin’s wheeling-and-dealing offense than anecdotal evidence from his legendary play-calls at the conclusion of the 2007 Fiesta Bowl:

"There was a hook-and-lateral (which the Broncos called “Circus”) late in the fourth quarter, when Boise State faced fourth-and-18 with 18 seconds left. Quarterback Jared Zabransky completed a 15-yard pass to Drisan James, who then lateraled the ball to an in-stride Jerard Rabb, who proceeded to run the final 35 yards for the game-tying touchdown. Then, in overtime — after Okahoma scored on its first possession — Boise State answered with another trick-play score: A Wildcat pass from wide receiver Vinny Perretta to tight end Derek Schouman. The Broncos then topped off the game with perhaps the most iconic trick play in recent memory, when they ran a Statue of Liberty play for the two-point conversion, with Zabranksy faking the pass to the right before blindly handing the ball off to running back Ian Johnson behind his back and Johnson running into the end zone for the win (and proceeding to propose to his then-girlfriend, a Boise State cheerleader, on the field)."

That game is considered one of the all-time classic bowl games, and in a strange turn of events, Moore ended up having a greater NFL career than JaMarcus Russell from the National Champion LSU Tigers that year.

Given Moore’s lack of success at the pro level, it is fair to say Harsin’s effect on him was obvious at the collegiate level. Taking chances could well lead to the same thing happening to any number of Tigers on the offensive end.

5. His hiring was acclaimed

It feels good to see Auburn football hire someone so believed. Don’t believe me that Harsin is almost universally acclaimed? The War Eagle has the receipts:

Be excited Auburn football fans. Brian Harsin could bring the Tigers back to the National Championship conversation, and if he is the true spiritual successor to Gus Malzahn, beating Alabama in the Iron Bowl is an achievable goal every season from here on out.

War Eagle, Mr. Harsin. Welcome to the Plains.