Reports: Auburn to hire Boise State’s Bryan Harsin as head football coach

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December 22, 2020

Auburn has selected Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin to lead the Tigers football program, according to multiple reports.

Yahoo Sports broke the news on Tuesday afternoon.

Coincidentally, it was Harsin who succeeded Gus Malzahn as the head coach at Arkansas State in 2012. Now, Harsin will apparently repeat the feat on The Plains.

Harsin, 44, has been the head coach at Boise State since 2013, amassing a 69-19 record during that time.

From 2011-2012, he was co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Texas.

An Idaho native, Harsin was a quarterback at Boise State from 1995-1999.

After graduating, he was the running backs and wide receivers coach at Eastern Oregon in 2000, followed by a litany of staffing roles — culminating in offensive coordinator under then-head coach Chris Petersen — at Boise State from the 2001-2010 seasons.

Outlets have reported that ULL head coach Billy Napier, UAB head coach Bill Clark, Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal and Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables were approached about the Auburn job before the university’s search process landed on Harsin.

The common obstacle to all of the other coaching candidates taking the job was reportedly a lack of say when it comes to the Auburn defensive coaching staff, led by coordinator (and interim head coach) Kevin Steele.

Harsin’s imminent hire could be a sign that he acquiesced to Steele remaining on board with his team of defensive assistants.

Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn

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