Bryan Harsin
A meticulous offensive strategist who rose from Boise State assistant to head coach in the pressurized world of SEC football at Auburn.
Born 1976 (age 50)·American football player and coach·Birthday: November 1·Generation X
Biography
Bryan Harsin's football identity is inextricably linked to the blue turf of Boise State. A quarterback for the Broncos in the 1990s, he returned as a graduate assistant and spent over a decade learning a culture of precision, innovation, and underdog grit under Chris Petersen. Harsin became the architect of complex, deceptive offenses that frustrated bigger programs. His successful head coaching debut at Arkansas State led him back home to Boise as the head coach, tasked with maintaining a powerhouse. For seven seasons, he posted a stellar win percentage, capturing three Mountain West titles. This track record earned him one of the most challenging jobs in sports: head coach of the Auburn Tigers in the SEC. His tenure there was brief and turbulent, a clash of cultures where his intense, insular style struggled to gain traction in the fishbowl of Alabama. His story reflects the steep transition from a program-built culture to leading a sprawling, tradition-heavy football institution.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Bryan was born in 1976, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bryan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1976
#1 Movie
Rocky
Best Picture
Rocky
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Bryan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1976Born
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1981Started school
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1989Became a teenager
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1992Could drive
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
1994Could vote
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
1997Turned 21
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2006Turned 30
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2016Turned 40
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 50
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Posted a 69-19 record as head coach at Boise State, winning three Mountain West Conference championships.
- Served as the head football coach at Auburn University in the Southeastern Conference from 2021 to 2022.
- Was the co-offensive coordinator at the University of Texas for two seasons, calling plays for a high-powered offense.
- Began his head coaching career by leading Arkansas State to a Sun Belt Conference championship in his only season there in 2013.
Did You Know?
He and his wife initially met in the first grade in Boise, Idaho.
As Boise State's head coach, he continued the program's tradition of having the entire team run to the center of the blue field after every home victory.
He was a backup quarterback at Boise State, playing behind future NFL player Tony Hilde.
His coaching staff at Auburn was notable for including several former Boise State colleagues and players.
“You have to be a little bit different to win on the blue turf.”
