Auburn football fans received an early Christmas present on Tuesday as the program announced that Bryan Harsin will take over as the next head football coach.
"I'm incredibly excited and humbled for the opportunity to be at a place like Auburn University," Harsin said. "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. 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!"
Harsin has spent the last seven seasons as the head coach at Boise State and has led the Broncos to three Mountain West championships. Harsin finished with an overall record of 69-19 at Boise State and a 45-8 record in conference play.
From Boise, Idaho, Harsin is a Boise State alumnus and played quarterback at Boise from 1995–99.
His first coaching job came in 2000 as he served as the running backs and wide receiver coach at Eastern Oregon. Following his one season at Eastern Oregon, Harsin spent the next 10 years in various coaching jobs at Boise State.
He was a graduate assistant in 2001 before taking over as the tight ends coach in 2002, a position he held until 2005. He was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2006 and held that role until 2010, with the Broncos compiling a 61-5 record during that time frame.
Harsin left Boise State following the 2010 season and was the offensive coordinator at Texas from 2011–12 before getting his first head-coaching job in 2013 at Arkansas State. Coincidentally, he replaced Gus Malzahn as head coach at Arkansas State.
In 2013, the Red Wolves finished with a 7-6 record and tied for first place in the Sun Belt with a 5-2 conference record. Harsin left Arkansas State before their bowl game and accepted the head coaching position at Boise State, where he has been since 2014.
"We are thrilled to welcome Coach Harsin to the Auburn family," Athletic Director Allen Greene said. "He's a proven winner whose record speaks for itself. Coach Harsin impressed me with his detailed plan to lead Auburn to consistently compete for championships in the Southeastern Conference. 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."
University President Jay Gogue also welcomes Harsin to Auburn in the release.
"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," Gogue said. "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."
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Jake Weese, senior in journalism with a minor in history, is The Plainsman's sports editor.
