Auburn head football coach Bryan Harsin tests positive for COVID-19

Auburn Tigers head football coach Bryan Harsin released a statement on Friday announcing that he has tested positive for COVID-19. The first-year head coach indicated that he is asymptomatic and isolating at home. Assistant coach Jeff Schmedding will take over head coaching duties in his absence.

The new Auburn head coach brought on controversy during SEC Media last month when he declined to comment on whether or not he had been vaccinated against the viral disease and emphasized it as a “personal choice”. In the weeks since, he indicated that the vaccination numbers amongst his team is trending up.

Harsin was hired by the Tigers despite having no previous experience in the SEC. After a 7-5 season at Arkansas State in 2013, he’s been at Boise State ever since with a 69-19 mark and three bowl wins, including the 2014 Fiesta Bowl. He was a backup quarterback for the Broncos in the late 90’s.

He replaces Gus Malzhan, who was let go and is now the head coach at Central Florida after a 68-35 record in eight seasons on The Plains.