Harsin Leaving Impressions

[WarEagle1983 2,191]

6 minutes ago, passthebiscuits said:

I just don’t get it. I don’t care how he’s laying bricks if the house he’s building falls down when a stiff wind blows. 
 

He’s just not going to cut it, folks. You heard it here first. 

This saddens me if true. I'd be ok with keeping Mason but I don't have that much faith in Bobo. I like Harsin and the brand of football that's been produced at Boise St. Even though Harsin wasn't a big name, I liked the fact the possibility that we could be similar to Boise but on a larger scale with better players. They play solid defense and have always produced quality QBs. I understand that the SEC is a huge step up but I still feel it's possible. It's clear that the coaches have as much if not more to work on than the players. 

[Randman5000 4,277]

11 hours ago, AUDevil said:

This team is 1 in a million.

 

Had to pay the devil for the 2013 season I guess

[AUApostle 7,791]

9 hours ago, passthebiscuits said:

I just don’t get it. I don’t care how he’s laying bricks if the house he’s building falls down when a stiff wind blows. 
 

He’s just not going to cut it, folks. You heard it here first. 

I take it you don't see the bama game and positive recruiting reports as a major step in the right direction as it seems a consensus of fans do?

[AUApostle 7,791]

7 hours ago, Randman5000 said:

Had to pay the devil for the 2013 season I guess

We've been paying on that note for 8 years.  Must be making minimum payments.

[McLoofus 35,182]

9 hours ago, passthebiscuits said:

I just don’t get it. I don’t care how he’s laying bricks if the house he’s building falls down when a stiff wind blows. 
 

He’s just not going to cut it, folks. You heard it here first. 

I'd love to hear more about this, although I understand if you're not interested or able to expand on it here.

[Randman5000 4,277]

13 hours ago, passthebiscuits said:

I just don’t get it. I don’t care how he’s laying bricks if the house he’s building falls down when a stiff wind blows. 
 

He’s just not going to cut it, folks. You heard it here first. 

What do you mean by this?

[Guest MustardSeed]

13 hours ago, passthebiscuits said:

I just don’t get it. I don’t care how he’s laying bricks if the house he’s building falls down when a stiff wind blows. 
 

He’s just not going to cut it, folks. You heard it here first. 

So lay it out then. What’s is your “source” telling you?  And don’t go down the playcalling etc book. I mean actual details of how he isn’t capable of growing this team.  You claim to be the first to have the info.  There’s no pay articles sharing secret info like this so no reason to say it’s not shareable. You haven’t shared any relevant info this year so I’m guessing there’s no source to protect either.  So let’s hear it then. 👂👂👂. Inquiring minds want to know. 
I say Harsin is the guy and you heard it here 10,542nd 🤣

[bigbird 60,942]

22 minutes ago, MustardSeed said:

What’s is your “source” telling you?

He IS a source

 

Piece of advice. Know who you are trying to make look silly

[passthebiscuits 7,021]

Just my personal opinion. No source needed. I just don’t get the support after what we witnessed over the last few weeks. 

[abw0004 10,332]

3 minutes ago, passthebiscuits said:

Just my personal opinion. No source needed. I just don’t get the support after what we witnessed over the last few weeks. 

Link?

[woodford 3,751]

13 hours ago, Randman5000 said:

Had to pay the devil for the 2013 season I guess

All 2013 was was a Hail Mary. The Kick Six overshadows how great Auburn played that night. 

[TitanTiger 21,342]

My take is that there are massive holes on this roster almost every coach outside of Cadillac and Etheridge had to work around.  It's hard to get a gauge on how each coach did because I just think in many cases, they just can't depend on what they have to be consistent.  The OL cannot move people in the run game.  Period.  They got much better as pass protectors this year.  Bo, despite some lingering frustrating moments, took a huge step forward this year.  But the ceiling for this offense was very low due to the well-documented lack of offensive line recruiting that's years in the making, and youth at WR and no one at the position that scares a defense or is a reliable go-to guy when you need a play to be made.

The defense was trying to learn a very different system than what Steele ran but despite that, mostly held steady statistically compared to last year (slight improvement in rushing defense, slight decline in passing D, about the same in scoring D).  But outside of the Iron Bowl and maybe one other, the defensive front four couldn't get penetration and make QBs uncomfortable.  Wooten is a great young man but cannot replace Owen Pappoe, especially in covering routes across the middle.

Somehow this staff managed to get these kids to believe they could play with a team that was better than them (sometimes significantly better) at every position on the field outside of RB, McCreary, and Zakoby.  Maybe we win it with Bo in there, or if TJ doesn't get hurt, or if his internal pass rush clock moved a tick faster, or Tank goes down inbounds, or the ball doesn't go through Hudson's hands for that killer INT after stopping Bama on 4th down.

So my personal take is, I think we're heading in the right direction despite the late swoon.  I think we can get better, but we just aren't in position to have the kind of instant turnarounds we saw with Bowden or Gus early on.  It's more like the kind of roster rebuild that leads to success we needed under Dye and Tuberville.  Maybe if you can replace a coach with a clearly better recruiter, you do it because getting where we want to go can't be done just with try-hards and diamonds in the rough.  You have to start snagging a reasonable share of the big dogs, especially on both sides of the LOS.  

Auburn fans can be an impatient lot, especially when UGA and Bama are doing as well as they are.  We want it turned around and turned around yesterday.  But I think this rebuild isn't one that can be done in one year.  I think this is the kind of rebuild that takes probably til year three before you're close to where you want to be.  I don't think running off a coach after one season will do anything helpful.  It's far more likely to put you on the trajectory Tennessee has been on for the last 15 years.

[Eagle Eye 7 2,535]

15 hours ago, WarEagle1983 said:

This saddens me if true. I'd be ok with keeping Mason but I don't have that much faith in Bobo. I like Harsin and the brand of football that's been produced at Boise St. Even though Harsin wasn't a big name, I liked the fact the possibility that we could be similar to Boise but on a larger scale with better players. They play solid defense and have always produced quality QBs. I understand that the SEC is a huge step up but I still feel it's possible. It's clear that the coaches have as much if not more to work on than the players. 

It is possible but in order to improve Harsin would first have to admit he wasn’t the worlds greatest coach and that is where he will fail, because he believes he knows it all. 

[Guest MustardSeed]

1 hour ago, bigbird said:

He IS a source

 

Piece of advice. Know who you are trying to make look silly

Perhaps…but going back through his posts all the way back to the last staff and there isn’t a single “source” type post. Just fan opinions like the rest of us which I why I asked him to spill the details if he actually had .  I’m aware he had access to the last staff.  No idea if he still has inside access or not with the new staff. Don’t really care honestly. He admitted it was just an opinion and not based on any inside info. So now we know his post condemning the guy is just as relevant as yours or mine.  Needed that clarification and we got it🙂

[TigerHorn 1,442]

On 11/28/2021 at 1:25 PM, LPTiger said:

He won 4 SEC Championships.   He brought the Iron Bowl to Auburn.  He recruited the best athlete that ever lived.  Our field is named after him.  He backed down from nothing.   A convicted felon, upset about CPFD moving the Iron Bowl out of Birmingham, convinced a disgruntled player to record an assistant coach offering him the same type of LESS stuff than every other school was offering.

FIFY

[bigbird 60,942]

1 minute ago, MustardSeed said:

Perhaps…but going back through his posts all the way back to the last staff and there isn’t a single “source” type post. Just fan opinions like the rest of us which I why I asked him to spill the details if he actually had .  I’m aware he had access to the last staff.  No idea if he still has inside access or not with the new staff. Don’t really care honestly. He admitted it was just an opinion and not based on any inside info. So now we know his post condemning the guy is just as relevant as yours or mine.  Needed that clarification and we got it🙂

Glad you got what you needed

[TigerHorn 1,442]

7 hours ago, AUDevil said:

We've been paying on that note for 8 years.  Must be making minimum payments.

It was an ARM. This year was the balloon payment......

[AUght2win 7,079]

1 hour ago, passthebiscuits said:

Just my personal opinion. No source needed. I just don’t get the support after what we witnessed over the last few weeks. 

I am really and truly, rooting immensely for CBH. I love what his hire represented and his outward appearance of a hard nosed challenger. But I'm like you, this past month has devastated my hopes. 

Is there *anything* positive you've witnessed/experienced firsthand that could be interpreted as CBH having a chance at being successful here?

[AU9377 6,057]

I hope he is building something.  Unfortunately, building usually means getting better, which we certainly did not do toward the end of the season. I realize that there is a learning curve, but from what I am told, Harsin believes that he knows everything already.  Someone that has worked in the athletic department for over 20 years told me that his biggest problem is that his first instinct is to be defensive.  That, in turn, makes him come across as being angry about something all the time.  In her words, he isn't very Southern when it comes to how a man carries himself. 

Everyone I know wants him to succeed.  However, going 6-6 and following that with 7-5 is not what any part of the fan base will accept as either success or improvement.  Players' families have liked every coach we have had to one degree or another.  I hope they all love him.  I also hope that he can convey that to recruits, which we need desperately if we are to avoid sinking into a dark time for Auburn football.

[AU9377 6,057]

47 minutes ago, Eagle Eye 7 said:

It is possible but in order to improve Harsin would first have to admit he wasn’t the worlds greatest coach and that is where he will fail, because he believes he knows it all. 

^^^^This is THE problem^^^^

[bigbird 60,942]

55 minutes ago, Eagle Eye 7 said:

It is possible but in order to improve Harsin would first have to admit he wasn’t the worlds greatest coach and that is where he will fail, because he believes he knows it all. 

 

8 minutes ago, AU9377 said:

^^^^This is THE problem^^^^

And y'all know this how exactly?

[AU9377 6,057]

Just now, bigbird said:

 

And y'all know this how exactly?

When you are told something by people you trust and then that information gets confirmed by others that have no idea of the fact that you have previously been told this same information, over time it becomes obvious that there is something to it.  I'm not saying that it can't be changed or that it is a game killer.  I am just pointing out that it is a real problem.  People can ignore that info if they want and keep stroking themselves into believing some alternate state of reality, but if it doesn't change, it will come back to haunt him and Auburn.

[TitanTiger 21,342]

I've heard he's a confident man - confident in his philosophy and in his belief that he understands what it takes to develop a winning team and program.  What I have not heard anyone say is that he thinks he's the greatest coach ever, that knows everything already, or that no one else has anything of value to offer him in terms of strategic or coaching advice.  

He might have come underestimating the level of recruiting that it takes to win this league and compete for the CFP, but from what I can tell, he seems to be seeing on the light on that and turning up the heat.  We'll see if that translates to making changes on the staff to bring in more big time recruiters, but I don't think he's naive to that anymore.

[AUght2win 7,079]

28 minutes ago, AU9377 said:

I hope he is building something.  Unfortunately, building usually means getting better, which we certainly did not do toward the end of the season. I realize that there is a learning curve, but from what I am told, Harsin believes that he knows everything already.  Someone that has worked in the athletic department for over 20 years told me that his biggest problem is that his first instinct is to be defensive.  That, in turn, makes him come across as being angry about something all the time.  In her words, he isn't very Southern when it comes to how a man carries himself. 

Everyone I know wants him to succeed.  However, going 6-6 and following that with 7-5 is not what any part of the fan base will accept as either success or improvement.  Players' families have liked every coach we have had to one degree or another.  I hope they all love him.  I also hope that he can convey that to recruits, which we need desperately if we are to avoid sinking into a dark time for Auburn football.

I keep hearing the guy is having trouble with the southern culture. He definitely isn't endearing himself to the fanbase the way other coaches have. He seems to be keeping the AU family at an arm's length. What's up with that? Just doesn't vibe with it?

[AUght2win 7,079]

6 minutes ago, TitanTiger said:

I've heard he's a confident man - confident in his philosophy and in his belief that he understands what it takes to develop a winning team and program.  What I have not heard anyone say is that he thinks he's the greatest coach ever, that knows everything already, or that no one else has anything of value to offer him in terms of strategic or coaching advice.  

He might have come underestimating the level of recruiting that it takes to win this league and compete for the CFP, but from what I can tell, he seems to be seeing on the light on that and turning up the heat.  We'll see if that translates to making changes on the staff to bring in more big time recruiters, but I don't think he's naive to that anymore.

No matter what you do in life, without the capacity for growth and change, you'll always be limited. Gus Malzahn didn't have it. Tuberville didn't have it (although he made a desperate attempt at the end with Tony Franklin). Saban comes off as an old curmudgeon but he's done a total 180 in his coaching style because he's flexible enough to always be open to new ways to win.

Whether or not CBH can adapt as a recruiter and adapt to the uniqueness of this job is going to be huge IMO.