If Auburn football fires Bryan Harsin, here's why Tigers should target Deion Sanders
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Bryan Harsin is Auburn's football coach today.
And next week? We'll see about that.
The university on Monday confirmed it is conducting an evaluation of its embattled coach, who has been on the job for less than 14 months.
Last week, multiple players from Auburn's 2021 roster took to social media to criticize Harsin's leadership style, while other players spoke out in Harsin's favor. Auburn struggled in the recruiting rankings, and it lost five consecutive games to cap Harsin's 6-7 debut. Additionally, 19 players have entered the transfer portal since the regular-season finale, and Harsin has a coordinator vacancy for the third time since November.
February wouldn't be an ideal time to fire a coach, and firing two coaches in a span of 14 months almost certainly would give some coaches pause before considering Auburn. But this remains an SEC job that has proven it can produce a national champion.
Is Auburn a "Prime" opportunity?
On this edition of "SEC Football Unfiltered," a podcast from the USA TODAY Network, hosts Blake Toppmeyer and John Adams suggest that Auburn should consider Jackson State coach Deion Sanders if Harsin is fired.
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As "Coach Prime," Sanders has elevated his brand and the football program at Jackson State, which won 11 games in 2021, Sanders' second season. He also signed the nation's No. 1 overall ranked recruit in the 2022 signing class, cornerback Travis Hunter.
OPINION: I see this Bryan Harsin-Auburn football mess ending one of two ways | Toppmeyer
DEION CAN RECRUIT: How the Jackson State 'J' hat became the symbol of college football's signing day stunner
Toppmeyer suggests that one way to think about coaching searches is to consider the candidate whom your foes would not want you to hire. And although Sanders has never coached in the FBS, his recruiting chops might position him to be a thorn in the side of SEC peers.
Sanders is the king of self promotion, but don't be fooled by the bluster, Adams says, because Sanders has the savvy to match the bravado.
READY FOR POWER FIVE?: Deion Sanders uses national signing day to prove he's ready to coach in prime time
WANT MORE OPINIONS FROM ADAMS AND TOPPMEYER?: Subscribe to the SEC Unfiltered newsletter for an exclusive column every week
The question isn't whether Auburn should consider Sanders if it fires Harsin, Adams argues. Rather, it's whether Sanders would be interested in Auburn.
Adams also believes former Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze has served enough time in the SEC's penalty box. Freeze is three seasons into polishing his image as Liberty's coach. If the Auburn job opens and Freeze is interested, Adams thinks AU should at least kick the tires.
Where to listen to SEC Football Unfiltered
Blake Toppmeyer is an SEC Columnist for the USA TODAY Network. John Adams is a senior columnist for the Knoxville News Sentinel. If you enjoy their coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it. You can also subscribe to their podcast, SEC Football Unfiltered. They also host a podcast focused on Tennessee football, The Volunteer State.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: If Auburn football fires Bryan Harsin, AU should target Deion Sanders
