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Candidate profile: Bryan Harsin

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After firing Barry Odom following four seasons in Columbia, Missouri is looking for a new head football coach. You can find our full hot board here; however, we will also bring you a more in-depth look at each candidates by profiling one every day during the search.

Current position: Boise State head coach

Age: 43

Head coaching experience: seven years

Salary: $1.65 million

Buyout: $350,000

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Bryan Harsin grew up in Boise, Idaho. He played quarterback at Boise State from 1995-1999 and spent 10 years on the Broncos coaching staff, working his way up from graduate assistant to tight ends coach to offensive coordinator. After a couple stops elsewhere, Harsin has spent the past six seasons as Boise State’s head coach.

Harsin is certainly entrenched in Boise. But given his success at one of the premier Group of Five programs in the country, look for several Power Five schools to try to lure him to a larger job this offseason. Missouri could be among them.

Harsin appears to check all the boxes Missouri athletics director Jim Sterk is looking for in his next football coach. He has coaching experience, but at 43, he’s still relatively young. He comes from an offensive background. And he should be affordable, with his current salary at $1.55 million and a buyout of $350,000.

Harsin rose up the coaching ranks at Boise State under Dan Hawkins, then took over as offensive coordinator when the Broncos made Chris Petersen head coach in 2006. Harsin served in the role for five seasons, and during that stretch Boise State amassed a 61-5 record and won the Fiesta Bowl twice. Harsin then left to become the offensive coordinator at Texas, where he spent two seasons. In 2013, he was named the head coach at Arkansas State, and he led the Red Wolves to a 7-5 record and a share of the Sun Belt conference title in his first year as a head coach.

When Petersen left Boise State for Washington following the 2013 season, the Broncos hired Harsin away from Arkansas State. While Harsin hasn’t quite maintained Boise State at Petersen levels, he has certainly kept them nationally relevant. Harsin has a record of 63-16 in nearly six full seasons there. During that stretch, only Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Clemson and Wisconsin have won more games than Boise State.

In 2014, the Broncos won another Fiesta Bowl, and Harsin could have the team in position to make another New Year’s Six bowl game this year. Boise State has been ranked in the AP Top 25 at some point in each of Harsin’s six seasons and have finished ranked three times. They currently sit at No. 19. The 11-1 Broncos will seek their third Mountain West conference championship under Harsin when they face Hawaii on Saturday.

Harsin’s teams have become known for their potent offenses and, especially, strong quarterback play. Brett Rypien started behind center for four years from 2015 through 2018 and finished his college career as the Mountain West’s all-time leader in completions and passing yards. Last year, Rypien finished 10th nationally in passing yards per game (285) and passing touchdowns (30). This season, Boise State is averaging 271 yards per game through the air and 37.3 points per contest despite having both starting quarterback Hank Bachmeier and backup Chase Cord. Only once in Harsin’s tenure, 2017, has Boise State finished lower than 30th in total offense or scoring offense.

Harsin agreed to a contract extension midway through the 2018 season, but the agreement didn’t raise his salary. Missouri could easily offer Harsin more money, which might be enough to attract him away from Boise State. Then again, if Missouri can, so can other Power Five schools looking to replace a head coach. Harsin might wind up with his pick of several jobs. Even still, there’s no guarantee he would leave Boise.

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