Boise State blueprint on The Plains? Bryan Harsin explains how it would unfold
By Keith Farner
Published:
Call it diamonds in the rough, or simply merging the Boise State blueprint with the Auburn Creed. But Bryan Harsin has a plan for success on The Plains.
The best sales pitch example comes from Leighton Vander Esch, a walk-on linebacker who played eight-man football in high school and became a first-round pick in the NFL Draft in 2018.
“We had the blueprint and we laid it out for him,” Harsin said in an interview with 247Sports. “And he did all the work and hit all the checkpoints and did everything necessary and then some. … You’ve got to trust your evaluation. “
The blueprint is a combination of Boise State greats Chris Petersen, Dan Hawkins, Dirk Koetter, Justin Wilcox, Andy Avalos and others that manifests itself as a blue-collar approach with a personal touch. Petersen calls it his “Built for Life” philosophy.
“I got a chance to work with some of the best people in the world in what we do,” Harsin told Brandon Marcello.
Take the Boise State influence with the Auburn Creed, which Athletics Director Allen Greene shared in his sales pitch in December. Greene said “Google the Auburn creed,” and the first line goes like this:
“I believe that this is a practical world and that I can count only on what I earn. Therefore, I believe in work, hard work.”
Put them both together and this is how Harsin describes it:
“We’re going to get families and players that are going to feel (Auburn),” Harsin said. “There will also be guys we bring into this program and people are going to go, ‘Where the hell this guy come from?’ This program, how we develop our players, this culture, and the people in the program are going to be what helps build the ability to sustain success.”
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
