ESPN's Booger McFarland directs Auburn football coach Bryan Harsin to 'swallow your pride'

Erik Hall, Montgomery Advertiser
·5 min read
3
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

ESPN football analyst Booger McFarland appeared on Friday's "The Paul Finebaum Show," and McFarland had some advice for Auburn football head coach Bryan Harsin.

Auburn announced Friday that it would retain Harsin as its head football coach following a week of speculation that his job was in jeopardy.

"I want Bryan Harsin to succeed," McFarland said. "I wish somebody would get a message to him: Hey, man, swallow your pride. Regardless of whether you think you're wrong or not, you got to fall on the sword. OK, this is not a vendetta against Bryan Harsin. This is not a vendetta against where you come from. This is just — hey, you got to learn how to treat people, man. You got to learn not only how to tolerate Black people, but treat them the same way you want to be treated. Because those are the rumors that I'm hearing coming out of Auburn is that he doesn't know how to do that; he doesn't know how to treat people from the South — again, just rumors. I haven't been down there. But either way, Paul, we live in a country that will forgive you. He's got to fall on the sword."

That was McFarland's closing comment during his appearance on Friday's Finebaum show.

Finebaum said in response to McFarland, "Based on Harsin's statement — it won't be the last time we hear from him, but it is the first time — he doesn't seem like he's following Booger's advice."

Here is Harsin's statement that he released Friday:

This has been one of the hardest weeks of my career and it had nothing to do with my coaching ability. The personal attacks on me and my family went too far and were without justification. Their resolve through this experience has been incredible but also completely expected. We saw and felt the worst of the worst in some people. Fortunately, we also saw the best of the best in others and we will always be grateful for the support of so many through a very difficult time – our players, staff, the Auburn family, and many others.

I know who I am as a husband, father and football coach and cooperated fully throughout this process. I believe that every challenge in life is an opportunity to grow and learn. This is no different. Every day we’re not moving forward together is a step in the wrong direction. In order for us to take the Auburn program where we all want it to go we must, at all levels, commit to each other and this great university that we all love. I’m confident we can get there under the leadership of Dr. Gogue, incoming President Roberts, Allen Greene, and our Board of Trustees. I’m proud to be your head coach and appreciate the opportunity to lead the incredible group of young men in our locker room.

Auburn went 6-7 overall in 2021 during Harsin's first season as the Auburn football head coach.

AUBURN, ALABAMA - SEPTEMBER 04: Head coach Bryan Harsin of the Auburn Tigers during their game against the Akron Zips in the third quarter of play at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 04, 2021 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)
AUBURN, ALABAMA - SEPTEMBER 04: Head coach Bryan Harsin of the Auburn Tigers during their game against the Akron Zips in the third quarter of play at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 04, 2021 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)

On Feb. 4, The Advertiser reported that Harsin "created a divisive culture in which relationships with certain players were neglected and staff members felt ignored" at Auburn.

Earlier in McFarland's conversation with Finebaum, McFarland expressed being "leary" about it working for Bryan Harsin to remain the Auburn head football coach.

"I'm not really sure what went on at Auburn," McFarland said. "It sounds like a lot of players transferred out. It sounds like there were some accusations that Harsin was treating players a certain way. The bottom line is, it didn't sound like Bryan Harsin fit in the South. It sounded like a guy from out in Boise who came to the South and he had trouble dealing with Southern athletes — both Black and white. And usually when that situation happens, Paul, it doesn't end well. But eight days later, as you say, we get to a point where Bryan Harsin is still the coach at Auburn, they've enacted some new policies. I'm very leary of how this is going to work, Paul, just because overall perception is reality. And the reality is he's still there. But the perception is that Bryan Harsin doesn't fit, and I don't know what a couple of tweets is going to do, I don't know what an article is going to do, or what a new policy is going to do to make the perception go away of how Bryan Harsin feels about certain people, where they're from and where he's from. So to me, that's the biggest issue, Paul."

Here's more Bryan Harsin news:

Harsin was the Boise State football head coach from 2014-20 before taking over the Auburn job.

Erik Hall is the lead digital producer for sports with the USA Today Network. You can find him on Twitter @HallErik.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Booger McFarland directs Auburn's Bryan Harsin to 'swallow your pride'