Ari Wasserman: Auburn ‘A Dumpster Fire’ Right Now

Whilst the Auburn roster continues to ‘buy in’ to the culture Bryan Harsin and his staff are implementing on The Plains, the outside world are yet to be convinced. In response to a question in his weekly recruiting mailbag, The Athletic’s senior college football writer Ari Wasserman referred to The Tigers as ‘kind of like a dumpster fire’:

“Nobody is expecting Bryan Harsin to be around a year from now…   …things seem to be kind of like a dumpster fire, and the program’s administration has only itself to blame for putting its coach in an impossible situation to succeed.”

Ouch.

Firstly, it’s only fair to put the quote into context. Wasserman was asked if Auburn were as dead in recruiting as things appear. This is in response to the modest class that The Tigers have so far accumulated, with just four commitments in this recruiting cycle to date. Wasserman’s comparison of the program to burning garbage was delivered more as a statement of public perception rather than any personal feelings he holds towards Auburn. And yet the criticism still stings. Where has this negative image come from, and how is it affecting the Tigers’ recruiting drive?

An Offseason Of Turmoil

Recruits like stability. And if we’re honest, the Auburn football program certainly had some rocky moments this offseason. Despite matching the previous year’s win total in his first season in charge, Harsin has polarized opinion. A significant percentage of the roster headed for pastures new, many unwilling to toe the hard line of the new regime. It’s fair to say the boosters & administration were spooked, and amidst some unsubstantiated (and perhaps, fabricated) scandal, attempted a coup d’état.

Those pulling the strings soon learned what this roster already knew; Harsin is made of stern stuff. He withstood the mutiny, held on to his job, and looks to have bought himself a little time. If anything, this has seemed to galvanize the team around their head coach. Veterans have publicly backed Harsin, and are truly impressed with the mentality & culture he is building at Jordan-Hare. As for recruiting, the class may be small – so far – but it is strong. All four commits are four-star prospects and address areas of weakness. And every recruit, including the near misses, have praised the relationships the coaching staff have cultivated with them and their family. Most importantly, it’s a long way until signing day – the fight for future talent is far from over.

A Matter Of Perspective

The problem facing Auburn is that, quite often, perception IS reality. Especially when rival programs competing for the same talent are able to dabble in a spot of negative recruiting. Which parent wants to hear that a coaching staff won’t be there in 12 months time? For The Tigers, there’s only one way to get out of this malaise, and it’s to change the narrative. They do that by winning – and five home games to start the year gives them a great chance to do just that.

As Wasserman opines in his piece, when all is well on The Plains, Auburn is a top-25 program. Something interfering boosters would do well to take note. A good start to the season vindicates the direction Harsin is taking the program, which in itself suggests harmony and stability. All of a sudden, tales of dysfunction spun by other schools begin to ring hollow. Yes – right now, recruiting is a slog for Auburn. But if they play the long game, things can be very different come February 1st.

Dead? Auburn? Not even close.

WDE!