Bryan Harsin named as ASU newest head coach

After a full week of parsing the candidates, Arkansas State has its man.

??????????? Bryan Harsin was named ASU?s new head football coach in a press conference Wednesday afternoon, ending the mystery surrounding who would replace Gus Malzahn.

??????????? Harsin comes to Jonesboro after serving two years as the co-offensive coordinator and play caller for Texas. Before that he was an assistant coach for a decade at Boise State, including five years as the Broncos? offensive coordinator during their rise to national prominence.

??????????? The Convocation Center auditorium hosted a number of fans and media as Harsin introduced himself to the community and fielded questions alongside athletic director Terry Mohajir, Chancellor Tim Hudson and university president Chuck Welch.

??????????? ?We did a nationwide search to find the best-possible coach. We had tons of candidates,? Mohajir said, noting interest ranged from NFL coaches all the way down to the FCS. ?However, it became very easy [to choose Harsin] when we started zeroing in.?

??????????? Harsin interviewed for the position Tuesday in Austin, Texas, and the ASU administrators all said they got on the plane back to Arkansas ready to hire him. In the interview he spoke at length about his experience at Boise State, where he says he learned the process of building a program and sustaining success over a long period of time.

??????????? ?I think we realized very quickly that this is someone who gets it, that this is someone who is exactly the right fit at the right time and this is someone who knows how to get it done,? said Welch.

??????????? Welch said Harsin did his first ?Howl yeah!? in a text message to the system president at 10:45 p.m. Tuesday night.

??????????? Harsin?s contract is worth $3.5 million over five years and includes a $1.75 million buyout after the first season and a $1 million buyout after the second.

??????????? When asked about the contract details, information that wasn?t available during the conference, Mohajir was frank about if the buyout was larger than that present in Malzahn?s contract.

??????????? ?Yes. [Harsin?s] reps tried to beat me up a little bit but it was just like, ?non-negotiable!?? Mohajir quipped to laughter and applause.

??????????? The first move under the new management, Harsin says, is to assemble a coaching staff and begin recruiting, which he called ?the lifeblood of any program.?

??????????? Harsin will undoubtedly seek to recruit players that fit into his offensive system, which, while focused on the same kind of tempo utilized by previous ASU head coaches Hugh Freeze and Malzahn, he characterizes as more pro-style and focused on a powerful downhill running game.

??????????? Junior running back David Oku and redshirt sophomore safety Sterling Young were also present during the Q&A session that followed Harsin?s initial statement, and both commented on the effect the hire had on team morale.

??????????? ?A lot of players felt uncertainty, a lot of players didn?t know what to expect, but now that we have a head coach, we can just focus on the bowl game,? Oku explained.

??????????? ?It was real exciting just to finally get a new head coach,? Young said. ?It?s a great hire, he?s committed to the program and that?s what we need. We need someone who?s going to be here for the long run.?

??????????? Harsin suggested that his track record at Boise State demonstrates a desire for continuity and that he is interested in staying at a program, achieving success and maintaining that success.

??????????? Harsin said he will not coach the Longhorn?s in the Alamo Bowl against Oregon State on Dec. 29, stating that his heart was completely in Jonesboro.

Source: http://www.asuherald.com/news/bryan-harsin-named-as-asu-newest-head-coach-1.2802579

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