ESPN insider explains why familiar name could be in play if Bryan Harsin is fired

Reports have started to swirl the Auburn Tigers could potentially part ways with head football coach Bryan Harsin.

If Auburn decides to go with that option, the question then becomes who is next in line to become the Tigers head football coach. And on Friday, while a guest on the Paul Finebaum Show, ESPN analyst Chris Low offered up a unique candidate.

“Yeah, I think Kevin Steele would be in play, he had a lot of support the last time,” he said. “I go back to what I said a minute ago about a bit of a division or fracture, I think when you look at the fact that they hired Bryan Harsin, that was not who some of the people there, longtime prominent boosters wanted. And Jay Gogue, the outgoing president, Allen Greene, brought in Bryan Harsin. Will that change a second time? I don’t know.

“But I do think without question Kevin Steele will have some support there, because he knows the place and, I think, much like Bruce Pearl, there are people that feel like he can come in and be a uniter. I think there’s a lot of people that would want that job.”

After agreeing to terms with Kevin Steele to become the new defensive coordinator at Maryland last week, he has jumped ship to Miami. And if Lowe’s assumption is correct, it will be the third time that Steele is on the move in this offseason.

More on Harsin and his woes at Auburn

Auburn went 6-7 in Harsin’s first season, losing to Houston in the Birmingham Bowl to wrap up the year. Since the end of the year, Auburn has seen a lot of turnover on the roster and coaching staff. That doesn’t bode well Harsin, who heads a program that is expected to compete for a CFP bid every year.

“It’s still, despite the drama and some of the dysfunction that has occurred there over the years, it’s still a marquee job for the reasons I just laid out. I think Hugh Freeze is a guy that’d be involved, maybe Lane Kiffin, Mike Gundy,” Low said. “There’s several coaches I think that would be interested. And when you look at the assistant realm, maybe a guy like Josh Gattis, the offensive coordinator at Michigan.

“But we could keep naming names and do this sort of fantasy coach search, but it’s still Auburn, it’s still in the SEC, they’ve still proven there that they can win national championships.”

In his first season, Harsin’s staff consisted of Mike Bobo at offensive coordinator and Derek Mason at defensive coordinator. Neither are with the program now. Austin Davis was hired as Auburn’s next offensive coordinator, but a month later he stepped down from his new position.