NCAAF Coaching Carousel: Ranking possible destinations for Bryan Harsin
After receiving the news that he had been relieved of his duties as head coach at Auburn University, Bryan Harsin has returned to step one… searching for a new place to call home.
There are currently five openings within the Power Five outside of Auburn, and more are expected to open up as the college football season begins to wind down.
While he is in no hurry to take on a new head coaching role, Harsin may want to use his free time to research every opening, and where would be an ideal destination for him and his family.
Out of the current openings, which would be the best fit for Harsin? Auburn Wire has ranked worst fit to best fit, and we even got some help from our friends at Buffaloes Wire and Cornhuskers Wire.
Here is a ranking of current openings, based on the fit for Bryan Harsin.
Georgia Tech
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
If Auburn was not a great fit for Harsin, then taking a job at Georgia Tech would only further ruin his reputation.
Georgia Tech would be a great job for someone who knows how to effectively recruit in the state of Georgia, and would fit in with the culture of Atlanta.
Georgia Tech is an attractive job and is a program that can be brought back to life, but the newly named athletic director AD Batt will need to knock his first hire out of the park in order to revive a once thriving program.
Wisconsin
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As the only show in town, Wisconsin never lacks fan support.
However, with much support comes high expectation.
Paul Cryst was dismissed last month after the Badgers started out 2-3, with the final straw being a 34-10 home loss to Illinois. Cryst was 67-26 as head coach of the Badgers, but his team’s recent lack of reaching expectations caught up to him writes Badgers Wire’s Asher Low.
Sure, there is less pressure in the Big Ten West. But the expectation to win now, as well as compete with Big Ten East counterparts Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State, may result in a similar fate as the one Harsin received in Auburn.
Nebraska
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Although Harsin is more of a Pacific Northwest/West Coast kind of coach as far as background and recruiting history are concerned, Nebraska would be a great place to get a fresh start.
Nebraska is set to open its state-of-the-art practice facility in 2023 and is expected to compete with other facilities across the nation. Cornhuskers Wire managing editor Evan Bredeson says that Nebraska’s utilization of NIL is also an attractive factor for potential head coaches to consider.
Nebraska has and continues to go all in on NIL. So far to date, they’re estimated to be a top ten spender in all of college football on NIL and they’re not done. They are in the process of consolidating several collectives under one umbrella which will be run by personnel that recently departed the Nebraska athletic department. Financially supporting the coaches and facilities is enough. The school and supporters around the school are willing to spend big money to make sure a winning product takes the field.
Despite the advantages to Nebraska, the Cornhusker fanbase has been known to have high expectations. Nebraska is very similar to Wisconsin as far as expectations are concerned. However, Nebraska fans may be more patient as Harsin works in the football facility as a recruiting pitch.
Arizona State
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Harsin and the Pac-12 seem to be a great fit. While at Boise State, Harsin was able to recruit the state of California well. As an Idaho native, Harsin seems to be more in tune with the west coast. Arizona State may not be the best fit for Harsin, but the potential hire makes sense.
Colorado
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Out of all the open jobs in the college football world at this moment, Colorado seems to make the most sense.
Harsin is a mountain guy and had success recruiting talent from the west coast, as well as Texas. Buffaloes Wire managing editor Jack Carlough shares the advantages of the Colorado job that seem to be tailored to fit Harsin perfectly:
Colorado’s interim (Mike Sanford) is also a Boise State guy who might stay on the staff. It seems like the consensus is that CU wants an experienced head coach like Harsin and his time at Texas is also attractive because that’s a big recruiting state for CU.
Harsin will need a fresh start, and a fan base that shows support to a successful coach could be what he needs to refresh his coaching career.
