CBS Sports Ranks Bryan Harsin’s Auburn Tenure Among Worst Coaching Hires This Century as Fallout Still Affects Program
In college football, coaching hires can elevate a program into national relevance or set it back years with long-lasting consequences. For Auburn University, the hiring of Bryan Harsin in December 2020 now belongs to the latter category — and national outlets are not mincing words about it. CBS Sports recently ranked Harsin’s tenure as one of the worst college football coaching hires of the 21st century, joining a short but infamous list of failed experiments that left programs reeling.
The decision to bring Harsin to Auburn was controversial from the start, and in hindsight, the skepticism surrounding the hire has proven well-founded. From cultural disconnects and recruiting struggles to locker room turmoil and embarrassing on-field results, Harsin’s time at Auburn is now being viewed not just as a misstep, but as one of the most damaging periods in modern program history.
The CBS Sports piece, which examined high-profile coaching hires across FBS schools since 2000, placed Harsin squarely among the bottom tier. It cited a combination of poor win-loss records, lack of recruiting success, organizational dysfunction, and an inability to build any semblance of long-term vision at Auburn. While most fanbases can absorb a down year or two under a new regime, Harsin’s tenure eroded confidence within the Auburn community faster than almost any other in recent memory.
When Auburn hired Harsin from Boise State, eyebrows were raised around the college football landscape. Harsin had compiled an impressive 69–19 record in the Mountain West, but had no real ties to the South or the SEC. He was a respected offensive mind, but the cultural and regional leap from Idaho to Alabama was massive — especially in one of the most pressure-filled jobs in the sport.
The hire came after a drawn-out process that was rife with political undertones, internal power struggles, and conflicting visions for the program’s future. Auburn boosters reportedly had different preferences than athletic department leadership, and Harsin emerged as something of a compromise candidate. In that environment, he was set up to face resistance before he ever coached a down.
Still, there was hope that an outsider could bring fresh perspective and innovation. Some fans bought into the narrative of a disciplined, no-nonsense coach who could overhaul the culture. But that hope would be short-lived.
Harsin’s inaugural season in 2021 started with promise, as Auburn jumped out to a 6–2 record and appeared competitive in the SEC West. But the wheels quickly came off. The Tigers collapsed down the stretch, losing five straight games to close the year, including a devastating overtime loss to Alabama in the Iron Bowl after leading for nearly the entire contest.
The collapse carried into the following offseason, when rumors of internal unrest began to spread. Reports surfaced of poor relationships with players and staff, a mass exodus in the transfer portal, and a recruiting class that failed to meet Auburn’s usual standards. More troubling was Harsin’s unwillingness — or inability — to adapt to the recruiting realities of the SEC, including the early NIL era and the need for constant engagement with high school coaches and local programs.
In February 2022, Auburn launched an internal inquiry into Harsin’s conduct and program management. Though the inquiry ultimately concluded without termination, the damage was done. Public trust had eroded, and the program was engulfed in off-field drama that overshadowed any on-field preparation. Recruiting stalled further, and Auburn became the subject of ridicule in SEC circles.
By the time the 2022 season arrived, it was clear the end was near. Auburn limped to a 3–5 start, including lopsided losses to Penn State, Georgia, and Ole Miss. On October 31, 2022 — after just 21 games and a 9–12 record — Bryan Harsin was fired. His buyout reportedly cost Auburn over $15 million, adding financial frustration to the already smoldering fire.
Perhaps the most damning aspect of Harsin’s tenure was his failure to recruit at an SEC level. Auburn — a program with rich tradition, passionate fan support, and access to elite regional talent — suddenly found itself struggling to secure commitments from in-state prospects. The Tigers finished near the bottom of the SEC in recruiting rankings for the 2022 class and were losing key battles to traditional rivals like Alabama, Georgia, and LSU.
Former staffers have since spoken out about Harsin’s reluctance to engage in the relationship-building required in SEC recruiting. Unlike other coaches who made it a point to visit high school campuses, attend local events, and form bonds with boosters and families, Harsin took a more hands-off approach. That might have worked at Boise State — where the competition and expectations were far lower — but in the SEC, it was a death sentence.
Additionally, Harsin’s failure to embrace NIL realities left Auburn behind the curve at a time when other programs were quickly adapting to the new landscape. Instead of viewing NIL as a tool to enhance Auburn’s appeal, Harsin reportedly saw it as a distraction. That disconnect, combined with organizational instability, made Auburn an unattractive destination for top talent.
It wasn’t just recruits who were alienated. Numerous players transferred during Harsin’s tenure, including high-profile names who later spoke out about the toxic environment in the locker room. There were questions about player development, communication, and trust. Several longtime Auburn staffers left or were pushed out, further contributing to the chaos.
Even though Hugh Freeze has now taken the reins, the ripple effects of the Harsin era are still being felt. The program is still playing catch-up in recruiting, especially along the offensive and defensive lines. The 2023 and 2024 recruiting classes — while improved under Freeze — have been forced to address gaps and deficiencies left behind by poor roster management during Harsin’s time.
Additionally, Freeze and his staff have had to work hard to rebuild relationships with high school coaches in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. There was a sense among regional football communities that Auburn had turned its back on them under Harsin, and mending those bridges has taken time.
Financially, the Harsin era was costly. Between his salary, buyout, and the investment in replacing much of the staff, Auburn spent tens of millions on a failed experiment. In a sport where every dollar counts in keeping up with elite programs, that kind of waste is hard to justify.
In the CBS Sports ranking, Harsin was placed alongside other failed hires like Willie Taggart at Florida State, Chad Morris at Arkansas, and Charlie Strong at Texas. What separates Harsin’s failure is not just the poor record, but the rapid decline and damage inflicted on a top-15 historical program.
Unlike some of the other hires on the list, Harsin inherited a team that had gone 6–5 under Gus Malzahn during a COVID-shortened 2020 season. There were foundational pieces to build on, including SEC-level athletes, experienced linemen, and an elite fanbase willing to support a new vision. Harsin didn’t just fail to improve the program — he accelerated its decline.
If there’s any silver lining to be found in the Harsin saga, it may be the lessons it provided for Auburn’s leadership and the college football world as a whole. Fit matters. Cultural understanding matters. Recruiting and communication matter. Hiring a head coach is more than just analyzing win-loss records — it’s about aligning values, building relationships, and understanding what makes a program tick.
Auburn’s subsequent hire of Hugh Freeze reflects a course correction — someone with deep SEC roots, recruiting experience, and a willingness to embrace the modern landscape of college football. Whether Freeze ultimately succeeds remains to be seen, but there’s little question the program is more stable and competitive now than it was during the final days of the Harsin era.
The CBS Sports ranking of Bryan Harsin’s tenure as one of the worst hires of the 21st century may sting for Auburn fans, but it’s hard to argue with the assessment. From day one, the fit was awkward, the vision unclear, and the execution disastrous. In less than two years, Auburn went from a proud program looking for a new spark to a fractured team struggling to stay relevant in the SEC arms race.
The scars of the Harsin era will take time to heal, but with renewed leadership and a fanbase still fiercely loyal, Auburn has a path forward. The lessons learned may ultimately help prevent another disastrous misstep — and in the cutthroat world of college football, that awareness might just be the first step back to greatness.
