Who will call the offensive plays at Auburn? Bryan Harsin says he’s giving Mike Bobo those duties
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Who will be calling the offensive plays on The Plains?
The annual question has already been asked at Auburn.
You should forgive Auburn’s media for jumping so quickly at that question given Gus Malzahn’s history with seizing those responsibilities from his former “play-callers” seemingly on a possession to possession basis at times during his tenure leading the Tiger program.
Based on the response given to that question on Thursday by Bryan Harsin, the current offensive coordinator for Auburn really will have the opportunity to call the plays on the field in 2021.
While Harsin noted he will be heavily involved in implementing the new offense at Auburn and the progression of teaching it to the players, the first-year Tiger coach said that Mike Bobo will be calling the plays this fall for his team.
“Mike is calling the plays and my responsibility right now is to help install and be there for the DNA of who we are on the offensive side,” Harsin said during his most recent press conference. “The things that we and I have been a part of, the things Coach Bobo and other coaches on our staff have been a part of, so as you start to talk scheme, what are some of the best things that we’ve all done? And it’s an open discussion.
“That’s the best part about having really good coaches together. Yes, we have a foundation, there’s some non-negotiables in there, but there’s a lot of things we want to work through and try, as we install it, to be the very best that we can in those areas so that our players, as they learn it, they learn the best things that us coaches have learned along the way.”
Harsin went on to explain the process of installing the new offense, something he’s done at a number of stops during his coaching career including stops at Boise State, Arkansas State, Texas, and now at Auburn, will take the entire offseason to effectively accomplish.
“Not everything gets installed at one time, there is a progression to what we are doing,” Harsin added. “There will be a spring progression, there will be a summer progression, there will be a fall camp progression in order to get where we want to be by the time we play.”
Finally, on the topic of play-calling, Harsin jokingly added that he will be happy to take credit for all the touchdown calls made this season on The Plains.
“When it comes down to play-calling and all that, we’ve both agreed I’ll call the touchdowns and (Bobo) can call all the other plays,” Harsin concluded. “That’s what we are going to do. So if there are any touchdowns out there, I’ll take credit for that and the rest of it, he’ll just move the ball down the field.”
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
