Arkansas Football: Could Bryan Harsin be a Good Option?

As we have seen throughout the Arkansas football head coaching search, there is an obvious first choice. Yesterday we learned Bryan Harsin of Boise State interviewed for the position. Could he be an excellent second choice?

This coaching search for the Arkansas football program has been something very different than what fans and even media in the state are accustomed to experiencing. Hunter Yurachek has done a phenomenal job of controlling everything, leaving fans to ride an emotional rollercoaster.

Yesterday’s name came via Football Scoop, which has been a reliable source of accurate information during this hiring search. Bryan Harsin, head coach at Boise State, is a name that I saw some excitement for on social media.

If you check out his Wiki page for information, it currently says that he is the head coach for the Razorbacks. I am sure that some people will circulate this and spread the rumor that he is the new hire, which is a prank, so don’t freak out.

We have talked a lot about Lane Kiffin being the number one pick for fans. There is also reason to believe that he is the number one pick for Yurachek as well. What is not clear is who Yurachek’s plan “B” might include.

Knowing what we know about coaching searches, we can be sure that nothing is final until the ink dries on the contract. Negotiations can break down, or fans can riot and burn couches. Agents can be using a hiring team as leverage to get their client a raise. Anything is possible.

Would Bryan Harsin be the plan “B” for Yurachek? He is not a big name, but there aren’t any other big names possibly available except for Kiffin.

Harsin has had a ton of success in his coaching career, getting his first head coaching position in 2013 at Arkansas State, where he won the Sun Belt championship that year.

So he does have some ties to the state as well, which some fans value greatly. He moved to Boise State in 2014, where he currently coaches. His head coaching career may be young, but his winning record of 70-21 with 4 Mountain Division championships is worth noting.

His bowl record of 3-1 includes wins over 10th ranked Arizona and Oregon. Coach Harsin’s teams finished the season ranked in three different years, and five of his six years, Harsin won ten or more games.

I do not see coach Harsin as the first pick for Arkansas due to his lack of power five experience. That said, if Arkansas doesn’t land Kiffin, this is a coach who wins and wins a lot, including a lot of championships.