ATLANTA – Brian Harsin wasted no time addressing the elephant in the room Thursday at SEC Media Days as the Auburn head coach discussed the University’s investigation into him in back in February.
“There was an inquiry. It was uncomfortable. It was unfounded,” Harsin said. “ It presented an opportunity for people to personally attack me, my family, and also our program. And it didn’t work.”
In the midst of allegations of a “divisive culture” and, later, rumors of an affair with an Auburn intern, Harsin’s future with the Tigers was in doubt after a 6-7 season that ended with a blown opportunity to upset #3 Alabama at home and a loss to #20 Houston in the Birmingham Bowl.
Harsin, however, is finding positives heading into the 2022 season.
“What it did is it united our football team, our players, our staff, our football team,” he said. “I’m really proud of our guys. I’m proud of what something like that that could be very challenging and difficult for a lot of people, how our guys stepped up and handled it.”
Sophomore running back Tank Bigsby echoed his coaches sentiment about how the situation affected his team.
“The situation that went on brought us closer. It brought us closer as a team and as a family. We go out and play for each other and lay it all on the line and do everything we have to do to get a win.”
With the investigation clearly in the rearview mirror, Harsin now is focused on rebounding his Tigers from a five-game losing streak that began after Auburn beat “a really good” Arkansas team on the road 38-23.
“The second half of the season didn’t go our way,” he said. “There’s reasons why. After every game you evaluate what were the things that happened. There are things that we can control. There’s things that we can do better.”
Bryan Harsin was awesome today.
“And it didn’t work”… pic.twitter.com/9SKWTxYQQD— Zac Blackerby (@Zblackerby) July 22, 2022
To do better for Auburn in 2022 means having to rebuild a depleted staff and team.
Since December’s Birmingham Bowl, 20 players and five coaches left the program, including quarterback Bo Nix, defensive coordinator Derek Mason and offensive coordinator Austin Davis after just six weeks on the job.
One addition to the Auburn roster comes in the form of sophomore Zach Calzada, a transfer from Texas A&M.
Calzada threw for 2,185 yards and 17 touchdowns while starting in 10 games for the Aggies last season, including 285 yards and three scores against against Alabama earning him SEC offensive player of the week.
“Zach has been awesome. He’s really been awesome,” Harsin said. “We appreciate his leadership. We appreciate just his work ethic. He has experience. He’s played. The only unfortunate thing is we didn’t get a chance to have him in spring because of his shoulder going through all the team periods because we hurt him during the season.”
Calzada will battle to win the starting quarterback position on The Plains agaisnt TJ Finley, who was the starter to end the season a year ago.
“They work so hard.” said tight end Samuel Shenker. “They’re also in the rooms and talking with the coaches just trying to better themselves. Especially during this quarterback battle. We’ll see what happens as we push through into the season.”
Auburn will open the season Mercer on September 3 in what will be a stretch of five home game, including Penn State and LSU coming to Jordan-Hare Stadium.
“Yeah, we’re excited about it, and I’m looking forward to those five games at home, having great crowds, great support,” Harsin said. “That environment that we all know is the best in the country, to be out there going crazy and cheering on our football team. Hopefully we’re having success through those five games.”
