Harsin and Auburn Drama (Auburn coaching situation talk)

[selmaborntidefan]

Not a good look for the fambly

Multiple people accuse Auburn coach Bryan Harsin of having 'dysfunctional' program

Auburn football's Bryan Harsin fails to empathize with players, creating a 'toxic' and at times unwelcome environment, according to several people

www.usatoday.com

Not trying to pile on - I don't have near the animus towards Auburn most fans here do, probably because (as some would tell me) I never had to live with any large number on a daily basis. But I can absolutely observe patterns of behavior just as I can some of the major botchery Alabama has done in hiring coaches, and it's mind-boggling to say the least.

Phillip Marshall - as a reminder to anyone reading, Marshall is a PRO-Auburn writer - has relayed his version of history (he was there) as to how Auburn hired Doug Barfield to replace Shug.

Here's the simplified story:
- Jeff Beard retired as AD
- Shug was coach and wanted to do both coach and AD (quite common back then)
- Auburn President Harry Philpott tells him no, so Shug says he'll be the AD if he can pick the coach
- Philpott says "no" to that, meaning you now have an AD getting a head coach forced upon him
- Shug (supposedly tifwiw) wanted Paul Davis, the DC, to replace him (Davis had coached MSU in the 60s)
- the BOT wanted a coach more offense oriented and thus assistant Doug Barfield, the OC
- someone on the BOT then leaked the story
- with lame duck Shug, Auburn starts the year at #7 and goes 3-6-2
- they'd been losing recruits (as UA would later) with rumors of "Shug is retiring soon"

And in all honesty, it's been a dumpster fire of (largely) incompetence and fear ever since.

Seriously - who was Terry Bowden when Auburn hired him? He was way down the public list below both Dick Sheridan and Pat Sullivan. (And IIRC, this was simply a Bobby Lowder pick).

Who was Gene Chizik? Even a friend of man (an Auburn grad) noted that Chizik was BY FAR "the most unqualified candidate of this candidate search," but he got the job.

And WHAT EXACTLY in Tuberville's record commended him to Auburn? He was 25-20 and 0-4 against Alabama (their list when Tubs got hired included a Florida DC named Bob Stoops, one year at Temple after years at UNA Bobby Wallace, and former Heisman winner Pat Sullivan, who had one winning season and got fired the previous year).


I understand that Auburn doesn't have the same wide array of options for a coach that Alabama or Oklahoma does (not to say those schools have always done great). But in all honesty it has always seemed to me that their list does largely consist of folks who will run things a certain way - sort of a Texas with less money.

(Side note: Dye's 1981 contract at Auburn included a provision that he could not leave Auburn to take the jobs at either UGA or Alabama until the end of the four-year contract).

 

[deliveryman35]

Here's my up to date observation--Barn people that I deal with every day(and there are A LOT of them here in NE Alabama) are mostly 50 and up, coming of age in the Pat Dye era of the '80's and some of which are plugged in pretty tight to Jimmy Rane/Yella wood. I'd say they overwhelmingly fall in the camp of the boosters and want Harsin gone. They are still furious about the iron bowl and see Harsin as in over his head and as someone that is incapable of closing the gap between the two programs. They see blood in the water with all of this and as a golden opportunity to dump Harsin and reboot under a more capable coach. In fact I would say they have even helped orchestrate all of this. Believe me when I say they are burning up the phone lines and wearing out their keyboards to the ptb down there to sack Harsin.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Btw - one of the most amazing things to me with all the off-the-field carryings on is this: you can read original documents from the late 19th century regarding the advancement of college football from the Ivy League across to the Western Conference (now the Big 10) and one of the primary mentioned things in (remember this key point) that Victorian era was "to give young men an alternative to fixation of their time on females" (e.g. alternatives to thinking about sex).

To see what football has NOW become in relationship to that subject - from players whose scoring on the field leads to things off the field (trying to keep it PG here) and coaches in er high stress jobs....this may be one of the ultimate ironies of all.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Here's my up to date observation--Barn people that I deal with every day(and there are A LOT of them here in NE Alabama) are mostly 50 and up, coming of age in the Pat Dye era of the '80's and some of which are plugged in pretty tight to Jimmy Rane/Yella wood. I'd say they overwhelmingly fall in the camp of the boosters and want Harsin gone. They are still furious about the iron bowl and see Harsin as in over his head and as someone that is incapable of closing the gap between the two programs. They see blood in the water with all of this and as a golden opportunity to dump Harsin and reboot under a more capable coach. In fact I would say they have even helped orchestrate all of this. Believe me when I say they are burning up the phone lines and wearing out their keyboards to the ptb down there to sack Harsin.

This exposes yet another of the Iron Bowl myths.

No Alabama coach in history has EVER BEEN FIRED for LOSING THE IRON BOWL. Ever. (Note: I'm referring to head coaches before someone tells me that DuBose fired Arians after the 97 game).

But from what I've picked up on Twitter (tifwiw - twitter ain't real life, but this one is expressing this more so than some other subjects), there DOES seem to be a stark division because there are several Auburn fans I know personally who are straightforward and honest about (some of) the flaws in their program - and they see the boosters as a huge part of the problem. Some of them at least want Harsin to have a fair chance, even if they were not on board with him at the first step.

 

[deliveryman35]

Reading Harsin's interview transcript from ESPN, I'd say that Harsin has dug in and all but declared war against the ptb down there. This is going to get ugly. Get the popcorn, folks.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Reading Harsin's interview transcript from ESPN, I'd say that Harsin has dug in and all but declared war against the ptb down there. This is going to get ugly. Get the popcorn, folks.

This is the greatest trick we've played on them since we got them to recruit Eric Ramsey and offer him illegal benefits on tape!!!!

 

[B1GTide]

I really don't care about whether or not he cheated. That is between him and his wife. But if he did so with an employee who he brought with him from BSU then he needs to be fired and should never work in a position of power again.

 

[JDCrimson]

Well, you cant get fired for recruiting violations if you dont actually recruit and sign any recruits...

So all PTBs are left with is adulterer and racist which just increases the 0s on the buyout of his contract.

Reading Harsin's interview transcript from ESPN, I'd say that Harsin has dug in and all but declared war against the ptb down there. This is going to get ugly. Get the popcorn, folks.

 

[Ole Man Dan]

Not trying to pile on - I don't have near the animus towards Auburn most fans here do, probably because (as some would tell me) I never had to live with any large number on a daily basis. But I can absolutely observe patterns of behavior just as I can some of the major botchery Alabama has done in hiring coaches, and it's mind-boggling to say the least.

Phillip Marshall - as a reminder to anyone reading, Marshall is a PRO-Auburn writer - has relayed his version of history (he was there) as to how Auburn hired Doug Barfield to replace Shug.

Here's the simplified story:
- Jeff Beard retired as AD
- Shug was coach and wanted to do both coach and AD (quite common back then)
- Auburn President Harry Philpott tells him no, so Shug says he'll be the AD if he can pick the coach
- Philpott says "no" to that, meaning you now have an AD getting a head coach forced upon him
- Shug (supposedly tifwiw) wanted Paul Davis, the DC, to replace him (Davis had coached MSU in the 60s)
- the BOT wanted a coach more offense oriented and thus assistant Doug Barfield, the OC
- someone on the BOT then leaked the story
- with lame duck Shug, Auburn starts the year at #7 and goes 3-6-2
- they'd been losing recruits (as UA would later) with rumors of "Shug is retiring soon"

And in all honesty, it's been a dumpster fire of (largely) incompetence and fear ever since.

Seriously - who was Terry Bowden when Auburn hired him? He was way down the public list below both Dick Sheridan and Pat Sullivan. (And IIRC, this was simply a Bobby Lowder pick).

Who was Gene Chizik? Even a friend of man (an Auburn grad) noted that Chizik was BY FAR "the most unqualified candidate of this candidate search," but he got the job.

And WHAT EXACTLY in Tuberville's record commended him to Auburn? He was 25-20 and 0-4 against Alabama (their list when Tubs got hired included a Florida DC named Bob Stoops, one year at Temple after years at UNA Bobby Wallace, and former Heisman winner Pat Sullivan, who had one winning season and got fired the previous year).


I understand that Auburn doesn't have the same wide array of options for a coach that Alabama or Oklahoma does (not to say those schools have always done great). But in all honesty it has always seemed to me that their list does largely consist of folks who will run things a certain way - sort of a Texas with less money.

(Side note: Dye's 1981 contract at Auburn included a provision that he could not leave Auburn to take the jobs at either UGA or Alabama until the end of the four-year contract).

I taught down there my third year of teaching. Under Barfield, people gave away tickets for every Home Game. I was privileged to witness the Auburn Clown Show every week, and the tickets were free.
I got out of Lee County ASAP, haven't been back since.

 

[92tide]

They are still furious about the iron bowl

i just wanted to read that part again

 

[lowend]

My money is on the self-righteous, but fallen (think…Earnest Angley) TV evangelist from Lynchburg, Virginia…..via the Grove in Mississippi…

Do yourself a favor and google Earnest Angley sometime. That dude had some SKEEZY stuff going on.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Here's my up to date observation--Barn people that I deal with every day(and there are A LOT of them here in NE Alabama) are mostly 50 and up, coming of age in the Pat Dye era of the '80's and some of which are plugged in pretty tight to Jimmy Rane/Yella wood. I'd say they overwhelmingly fall in the camp of the boosters and want Harsin gone.

The good ole days in this case being, "Only coach we had who could go toe-to-toe with Alabama and win a bunch when both teams were on level ground."

They are still furious about the iron bowl and see Harsin as in over his head and as someone that is incapable of closing the gap between the two programs.

The gap between the programs has only closed twice:
1) right after Coach Bryant passed away
2) during the time we were on a decade's worth of sanctions

It's to their credit that Pat Dye won like he did (even if he was their 3rd choice or so), but again go look at his record, it's basically the same as everyone else, 8-3 average. He had ZERO unbeaten seasons and one one-loss season, and they kinda went over a cliff, though to be fair that coincided with Dye having health problems, too.

In all honesty, if we don't botch the Bowden hire in 1987, Dye probably gets canned 2-3 years before he did. The gap only closes when WE screw up.

They see blood in the water with all of this and as a golden opportunity to dump Harsin and reboot under a more capable coach.

Remember all the stories about how 'Shula took a job nobody wanted'? That wasn't "really" true, although the circumstances were less than stellar. But what coach in his right mind would want to take this job NOW, with all this "boosters running the program" stuff?

In fact I would say they have even helped orchestrate all of this. Believe me when I say they are burning up the phone lines and wearing out their keyboards to the ptb down there to sack Harsin.

Just so you know - and it always goes this way - I'm now being informed via many War Eagle fans on Twitter that al.com just made up this whole story about Harsin and his alleged side lady to distract from (wait for it) Drunk Pete Golding.

 

[bamabelle1991]

Thank you, Simone…

You’re welcome but my name isn’t Simone. I actually don’t know anyone personally named Simone.

 

[CoolBreeze]

Frankly, I think the whole controversy is bogus. The best coach in the state not named Saban is still the head coach at UAB because he turned down that trash heap of a job and now yella boy and his bank buddy have buyers remorse for the only coach unwise enough to walk into that dump. What a joke man.

 

[NationalTitles18]

Just so you know - and it always goes this way - I'm now being informed via many War Eagle fans on Twitter that al.com just made up this whole story about Harsin and his alleged side lady to distract from (wait for it) Drunk Pete Golding.

It's amazing to me how so many people can believe whatever story they want to believe, even shifting what they believe from one moment to the next and then back again - and somehow manage to keep a straight face about it. Some in the public seem to be primed for it and the practice seems to be gaining in popularity. This is infinitely worse than the old deny, diminish, admit while distracting bit (though they seem to share some elements). It requires people to seemingly believe multiple stories that are completely incompatible simultaneously. It's exhausting and frustrating to watch because it makes no sense to a sane person.

 

[NationalTitles18]

I actually don’t know anyone personally named Simone.

Do you know anyone by that name who was named impersonally?

 

[CB4]

Phillip Marshall - as a reminder to anyone reading, Marshall is a PRO-Auburn writer - has relayed his version of history (he was there) as to how Auburn hired Doug Barfield to replace Shug.

Here's the simplified story:
- Jeff Beard retired as AD
- Shug was coach and wanted to do both coach and AD (quite common back then)
- Auburn President Harry Philpott tells him no, so Shug says he'll be the AD if he can pick the coach
- Philpott says "no" to that, meaning you now have an AD getting a head coach forced upon him
- Shug (supposedly tifwiw) wanted Paul Davis, the DC, to replace him (Davis had coached MSU in the 60s)
- the BOT wanted a coach more offense oriented and thus assistant Doug Barfield, the OC
- someone on the BOT then leaked the story
- with lame duck Shug, Auburn starts the year at #7 and goes 3-6-2
- they'd been losing recruits (as UA would later) with rumors of "Shug is retiring soon"

Good old Phillip Marshall. Son of award winning columnist and writer Benny Marshall, a close friend of Bear Bryant

Phillip goes on to be journalistic “water-toting” mouthpiece for Lowder and his minions for 30 or more years. Phillip never got over being put in his place as a cub reporter when he asked Bryant some smart ass question and Bryant basically told him he would never be half the man or half the writer his father was.

Phillip never got over it and to this day hates everything Bear Bryant & Alabama with a vengeance.

 

[tidebanker]

You’re welcome but my name isn’t Simone. I actually don’t know anyone personally named Simone.

Ferris Bueller quote….

 

[TideMan09]

Mullen maybe?

Yup or former Jacksonville St HC John Grass.. He's a really good HC & I imagine they could get him at a discount price..

 

[TideMan09]

I hope they do a episode on SEC Shorts about Harsin & Auburn pretty soon..It should be hilarious..