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Rece Davis unloads on Auburn administration for ‘disgraceful’ and ‘despicable’ treatment of Bryan Harsin
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Rece Davis had some brutally honest words for Auburn for their treatment of the now-fired Bryan Harsin following the 2021 season.
Harsin finished his first season on the Plains at 6-7. The Tigers were 6-2 but lost their final 5, including the Birmingham Bowl against Houston, for their first losing record since 2012. After several offseason transfers and a number of staff defections, Auburn launched an investigation into the football program, but Harsin ultimately kept his job.
After a 3-5 start to the 2022 season, though, Harsin’s fate was sealed. Davis, though, wondered if Auburn didn’t want Harsin, then it would have been better served cutting him lose before the season.
“What happened to Bryan Harsin in the offseason was disgraceful. I mean, despicable,” he said on ESPN’s College GameDay podcast. “You don’t want him? Pay the man his money. You end up having to do it anyway. Just say, ‘You know want, we didn’t want this’ and send him on his way. Instead, they did something nefarious and unfair…If somehow it’s proven that they had grounds for that and couldn’t prove it, then I’ll apologize, but right now I won’t…
“He stood tall through, did the best he could. They lost a bunch of double-digit leads, though, so he’s not without blame here, but I don’t think it had risen on the field to be the level of a fireable offense. They just didn’t want him.”
.@ReceDavis thinks the way Auburn treated Bryan Harsin during the offseason was "disgraceful." He shares his thoughts on the latest College GameDay podcast. pic.twitter.com/hATtPN4Tyu
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) November 1, 2022
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
