JD PicKell: Bryan Harsin's situation at Auburn is similar to Nick Saban at Alabama
According to On3’s JD PicKell, Auburn coach Bryan Harsin might have more in common with Nick Saban than you think. Although Saban undoubtedly has Harsin beat when it comes to championships and other accolades, there are some similarities in the situation Saban inherited at Alabama and what the Tigers are going through now.
This offseason, just 14 months after Harsin was hired, Auburn Live’s Justin Hokanson reported that the coach’s future with the school was in question. Apparently boosters were disgruntled following a 6-7 season in which the Tigers also lost their final five games and had already seen enough. Ultimately Harsin kept his job, but the bizarre situation certainly adds pressure for him entering Year 2.
Saban experienced similar pushback from boosters following his first year at Alabama in 2007, which saw the Crimson Tide finished just 7-6. As PicKell pointed out, neither Nick Saban nor Bryan Harsin backed down.
“He doesn’t bend the knee,” PicKell said of Harsin in a recent YouTube video. “I know right now he doesn’t have the juice and support of the boosters to not bend the knee, but long term that is going the serve him well. It’s going to serve Auburn well if he can get down the road. You know who else didn’t bend the knee? Nick Saban. The difference is he came to Alabama with a lot more accolades, a little bit more jewelry and probably more belief behind him, but that was an issue at Alabama too. When he came into the program, there was a lot of booster having access they shouldn’t have. Access that was ultimately detrimental to what happened on Saturdays. Nick Saban just said, ‘Nope. My way or the highway.’
“Same thing Bryan Harsin is saying right now. Only difference is he’s not coming from a national title background, so I understand why there’s a little bit of give and take there. But I’m telling you: That is crucial. To have the conviction that Bryan Harsin has cannot be overstated.”
In Saban’s case, Alabama turned things around quickly in Year 2 to go undefeated in the regular season. By the next year in 2009, the Crimson Tide claimed their first of six eventual national championships under Saban.
That isn’t to say that Harsin will have the same path at Auburn. The Tigers have a lot of question marks heading into 2022 after losing several players to the transfer portal as well as both their offensive and defensive coordinators. But it is at least comforting to know the coach shares some of the same qualities as one of the greats.
If that leads to more wins, the drama of this offseason could soon be a distant memory for Harsin.