AtoZSports tabs Kevin Steele, Matt Rhule as potential Bryan Harsin replacements

Truthfully, the Auburn football program is in uncharted territory with head coach Bryan Harsin being smeared in a way that could indicate that the powers that be have issues with the way the head coach runs things.

His players–be it the guys who have fought in the trenches for him already in 2021 or incoming recruits that only know Auburn the Bryan Harsin way–don’t seem to share the same opinion for what it’s worth.

But that hasn’t stopped speculation about what could be next if the program does indeed decide to drop the hammer on Harsin.

AtoZSports listed two very interesting candidates that have ties to the Plains, though in quite varied ways:

"Option 1: Go hire Matt Rhule away from the Carolina Panthers. It’s obvious after two years that Rhule is a college coach (he did a really nice job at Baylor and Temple). And Rhule knows this — he was reportedly interested in the Michigan job if Jim Harbaugh left for the NFL (looks like Harbaugh is staying at Michigan). Rhule could be a good fit at Auburn. If Auburn wants a long-term option, this is probably their best bet.Option 2: Bring Kevin Steele in to serve as the interim head coach for 2022. This would not only be hilarious, but it could also be smart.I’m sure he’d jump at the chance to lead Auburn in 2022 while trying to prove — once again — that he’s the right person to lead the Tigers’ football program.This would be similar to what Ole Miss did in 2017 when Hugh Freeze was fired. Matt Luke served as the interim head coach in 2017 and was eventually hired as the full-time head coach (and eventually fired)."

Matt Rhule coached Cam Newton this past season in Superman’s return to the team he led to the Super Bowl in 2016.

Kevin Steele’s Auburn ties are far more intricate. The #StopSteele movement was just one offseason ago, but even before then, he was a capable defensive coordinator under Gus Malzahn that ended up getting a bad wrap for turning on Malzahn in order to steal his jo.

The future of Auburn football is seemingly fluid at this current moment. If Bryan Harsin is eventually forced out by the program’s boosters, then these could certainly be just two of many names tied to the the Tigers head coaching vacancy.