Disgraced ex-Auburn HC the perfect option for Mountain West cellar dweller
Disgraced former Auburn football head coach Bryan Harsin was recently linked to Mountain West cellar dweller New Mexico, which fired Danny Gonzales on November 25 after a 44-41 Week 13 loss to Utah State in overtime to drop the Lobos to 4-8 in 2023, by Mountain West Wire’s Roger Holien.
“The candidate pool may be competitive with several Mountain West schools concurrently seeking new head coaches, including Boise State and San Diego State,” Holien prefaced before saying, “Potential names in the mix include Gary Patterson, Bryan Harsin, Bronco Mendenhall, Matt Wells, Ken Niumatalolo, Jason Eck, Brent Vigen, and Brennan Marion.
“Bryan Harsin, the former Auburn coach, is anticipated to be a contender for various Mountain West coaching positions. Harsin achieved a notable record of 69-19 as the head coach of Boise State from 2014 to ’20. While securing a Fiesta Bowl victory in his inaugural season, he did not quite replicate that success afterward. Nevertheless, he did amass a commendable 45-8 record in Mountain West play, claiming three conference championships.”
And there’s not a better possible choice for New Mexico considering Harsin’s ability to recruit his home state, Idaho, his connections to nearby Texas from his days as Longhorns quarterbacks coach in 2011 and 2012, and his new big-name cache that came with his uneven stint on the Plains.
New Mexico the perfect landing spot for disgraced former Auburn football HC Bryan Harsin
Not only is Harsin perfect for New Mexico, but the Albuquerque-based state school would provide the perfect low-expectations gig the Boise native would be wise to take considering how he did in a true pressure-cooker situation at AU.
Even returning to Boise State carries the weight of matching his previous stint, which yielded three conference championships and a New Year’s Six bowl game victory over Arizona in the 2014 Fiesta Bowl. If Harsin returned to his alma mater just to fail, he’d ruin the one good thing his head coaching resume has on it.
New Mexico gives him the chance to build from the ground up and stick around for years after likely falling flat out of the gate. If Harsin were to somehow outperform expectations, he would have revived his career.
A true win-win for the Lobos and Harsin if you ask this writer.