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Bryan Harsin has left as Auburn head football coach after less than two seasons, the school has announced.
He finishes his short stint at the Eastern University of Alabama with an overall record of 9-12 and a score of 4-9 in the Southeastern Conference. The Tigers have lost four straight and five of their last six after defeating Arkansas 41-27.
Harsin was hired from Boise State in December 2020 and Auburn gave him a six-year $31.5 million deal. He never came close to replicating his past success, failing to keep up with rivals Georgia and Alabama on the field or recruiting path.
Auburn owes Harsin 70 percent of his remaining contract — more than $15 million — and half of that must be paid within 30 days. Like his predecessor, Gus Malzahn, the amount remains the same even if Harsin takes another job. The school paid Malzahn, now head coach at UCF, $21.5 million after his resignation.
The school has now spent approximately $37 million firing its last two head football coaches.
Bryan Harsin leaves as Auburn head coach after less than two seasons
The school has now spent about $37 million to fire its last two head football coaches
“President (Chris) Roberts made the decision after a thorough review and evaluation of all aspects of the football program,” the school said in a brief statement announcing the move.
“Auburn will immediately seek a coach who will bring the Auburn program back to a place where it will compete consistently at the highest level and represent the winning tradition that is Auburn football,” the statement said.
Auburn canceled his weekly football news conference about 90 minutes before Harsin was due to speak.
Those results were unacceptable for a program that won a national title in 2010 and is used to competing for SEC championships.
The Tigers struggled all season, with the normally reliable defense giving up more than 40 points three times, while the offensive problems were never resolved. The biggest problems came in the second half, when Auburn failed to score a touchdown against both Missouri and LSU.
Arkansas running back Rashod Dubinion (6) celebrates with teammates after scoring a touchdown against Auburn during Saturday’s second half in Alabama
The heat on Harsin rose after a 41-12 loss to Penn State and didn’t cool off too much after a 17-14 overtime win over Missouri. That game was only saved by a fumble by Missouri in extra time. Then came a listless 42-10 loss to No. 1 Georgia, highlighting the talent gap against the Tigers and the losses against Mississippi and the Razorbacks.
Harsin said after the loss in Athens that he focuses on the things he has under control, but added that the joy of coaching “never goes away”.
Auburn had a shot at the lead in the third quarter against Arkansas, but the drive ended with a blocked field goal. The Razorbacks then scored 21 unanswered runs, emptying much of Jordan-Hare Stadium.
“The results of the game show that no one will feel that what we did was good enough,” said Harsin. “I think everyone in there is hurting, and we should be too. When you lose a football game and one against a team, we felt like we put a lot of preparation into the preparation… we prepared, put a lot of preparation time into it and wanted to play a lot better than what we did.
“So I’d say frustrated, but you have to get back to work.”
Athletic director Allen Greene, who resigned in August with five months left on his initial five-year contract, made the out-of-the-box hire of a coach with no SEC background. Harsin had turned 69-19 in his alma business in seven seasons.
Harsin survived a school investigation into his off-season program initiated by then-President Jay Gogue after a large turnover in his roster and coaching staff. The Tigers lost their last five games in its debut season.
Three-year-old starting quarterback Bo Nix left for Oregon. Defensive Coordinator Derek Mason left for the same Oklahoma State job and Harsin fired Offensive Coordinator Mike Bobo.
Three-year-old starting QB Bo Nix (pictured) left for Oregon. Defensive Coordinator Derek Mason left for the same Oklahoma State job and Harsin fired Offensive Coordinator Mike Bobo
His first choice to replace Bobo, Austin Davis, accepted the job and then changed his mind, citing personal reasons. Auburn came to stand with Harsin at that moment.
With all that in the background, Harsin struggled to bring in top recruits. His 2023 class was last in the SEC midway through the season, according to 247Sports’ composite ratings.
When spring arrived, Harsin said he was not bitter.
“I’m a man who wants to move forward, who wants to get better, who wants to keep moving,” he said at the time.
A former player had said that Harsin treated them “like dogs”, although others came for Harsin’s defense. The investigation ended with Gogue decrying the “wild speculation” and misinformation in the “food frenzy” surrounding Harsin, whose contract ran until the 2026 season. He did not specify the nature of that speculation.
Harsin’s tenure ended with Auburn due to another huge payout. Like his predecessor, Gus Malzahn, the amount remains the same even if Harsin takes another job. The school paid Malzahn (pictured), now head coach at UCF, $21.5 million after his resignation