Is today the day that the Auburn football program finally resolves the drama regarding Bryan Harsin’s future on the Plains? At this point, who knows? The administration has spent a week sullying the reputation of both the football program and its head coach, and there are still no answers as to who will lead the program into spring practices.
While fans of Auburn Athletics should be able to spend this time basking in the glory of Auburn basketball, instead they are having to split their time between cheering on the #1 team and hoping that the football program doesn’t turn into an actual dumpster fire.
Many have cast blame on the university Board of Trustees for putting the program in this mess, and are appalled with the way Bryan Harsin’s name has been dragged through the mud after only being allowed one season to completely turn things around.
However, AL.com has come up with an interesting solution: instead of paying Bryan Harsin his $18 million buyout and negotiating a contract with a new staff, just let Bruce Pearl take over Auburn football:
"Auburn hit the jackpot with Pearl, and Auburn basketball is the number one team in the country for the first time in history. If Harsin is a lost cause, nip it in the bud and move on. But don’t waste money on another football coach.As Joe Goodman points out, Auburn basketball already pays for football coaching buyouts. Turn the football program over to Bruce Pearl. He’s your most valuable resource, and he’s locked in for life. Let him pull double duty. The Pearl will figure it out."
In his eighth season on the Plains, where he led Auburn basketball to their first #1 ranking in the AP Poll in program history, we can’t forget that Bruce Pearl was allowed time to make changes. His first three seasons were somewhat disappointing, but eventually, he hit his stride.
Though it would be extremely entertaining to see Bruce Pearl take the reins of Auburn football, it’s likely that we’ll have to settle for seeing him shirtless in the stands of Jordan-Hare instead.