Auburn football: 3 candidates to replace Bryan Harsin

The Auburn football program could be moving on from head coach Bryan Harsin after one year.

After a disappointing first season, mass exoduses by players and coaches and a potential scandal, the Auburn football program could be looking for a new head coach if Bryan Harsin is fired.

While Harsin was successful previously at Boise State and Arkansas State before that, his seat could not be hotter entering year two on the job. Rumors of an extramarital affair could cause the Auburn head coach to lose his job for cause. Though Auburn is one of the top 15 jobs in the country, getting a great head coach this late into the offseason cycle will be incredibly difficult.

If Auburn is looking for a new head coach in the early part of February, where could the Tigers go?

Auburn fotoball: 3 coaches to replace Bryan Harsin down on The Plains

Rhett Lashlee had great success as the Tigers’ offensive coordinator previously

While Auburn has too much pride to welcome back Gus Malzahn with open arms, it may serve the university to hire his greatest protege to take over. Rhett Lashlee may be in his first year leading the SMU Mustangs, but the longtime offensive coordinator could bring a return to what made Auburn great during the better part of the Malzahn era. He should take the job if offered to him.

Of course, Lashlee has no head-coaching experience. It would be a big risk for the university to hire a first-time head coach in this situation, even if people are well-acquainted with Lashlee. Though he is a future Power 5 head coach down the line, there are no guarantees he will be even half as good as his SMU predecessor Sonny Dykes was before him in Dallas. The timing is not right here.

Lashlee may be considered as a potential replacement for Harsin, but he is only a dark horse for it.