Auburn Director of Athletics Allen Greene on Tuesday evening announced the hire of new head football coach Bryan Harsin, confirming media reports.
“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Harsin to the Auburn family. He’s a proven winner whose record speaks for itself,” Greene said in a statement.
The announcement comes after a search process that involved an advisory committee and Parker Executive Search Firm of Atlanta, GA.
“Coach Harsin impressed me with his detailed plan to lead Auburn to consistently compete for championships in the Southeastern Conference,” Greene remarked. “I’m grateful to Gen. Burgess, Quentin Riggins and each member of our advisory committee for their commitment to Auburn during this process. We look forward to welcoming Bryan, Kes and their children to the Plains to introduce them to the Auburn family.”
In a statement released by Auburn, Harsin stressed, “I’m incredibly excited and humbled for the opportunity to be at a place like Auburn University.”
“I knew it would take a special opportunity to get me out of Boise and Auburn is exactly that, the chance to compete at the highest level for one of the greatest programs in college football,” he continued. “I have a tremendous amount of respect for the coaches and players in the Southeastern Conference, but am ready to help build a foundation at Auburn where we can consistently compete for championships. I want our program to make Auburn proud both on and off the field with consistent excellence. I’m very grateful to Allen Greene and Dr. Gogue for this opportunity. Kes, our kids and I can’t wait to meet the Auburn family and get to work! War Eagle!”
Dr. Jay Gogue, president of Auburn University, advised in a statement, “We started the search with two goals. We want a coach who will lead our team to consistently compete at the highest levels and to make Auburn proud on and off the field. We found both in Coach Harsin.”
“Our search was diligent and thoughtful, and it is unfortunate that so much misinformation was spread in recent days about the process. I appreciate the leadership of Athletics Director Allen Greene and the hard work of members of our search advisory group. Welcome, Coach Harsin, to the Auburn family,” he concluded.
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
