Opinion: I was Wrong about Bryan Harsin

Hi, my name is Stubbs McGillivray-Zanelli, and I was wrong about Bryan Harsin, he will not be a bust at Boise State.

There, I said it. I was wrong, you happy now?

I still remember the day the Bryan Harsin was pegged as the replacement for Chris Petersen, the homegrown football savant making his triumphant return to Bluer Pastures taking over the program he played for and helped lead to a Fiesta Bowl victory as offensive coordinator.

His first press conference was a perfect indication of how Harsin would lead his version of the Broncos. A humble respect for the past accompanied with unbridled confidence about the future.

I believed, inaccurately, that Harsin’s ego would be his downfall. His inability to take criticism, his itchy block finger on twitter, and his thin skin would result in his undoing. I mean, how many coaches get to call the majority of their fanbase “twitiots” (trademark pending) and get away with it?

I’ll tell you who – coaches that win.

And no matter what your issues are with Bryan Harsin the person, Bryan Harsin the football coach does exactly that. He wins.

Boise State just wrapped up its first undefeated Mountain West regular season ever. Accomplishing anything at Boise State for the first time is a big deal, and the way this coaching staff pulled it off is even more impressive.

Three different starting quarterbacks all leading them to victories on the road, at home, and under pressure. Each week was another opportunity for Boise State to play like a team that was being led by their third string QB and each week the Broncos answered the call. The kudos for this starts at the top with Harsin.

The main responsibility of a head coach is to make sure that his team is mentally and physically prepared to play. This has always been my biggest issue with Bryan Harsin the football coach. On more than one occasion his teams have come out flat and undisciplined. This, in my opinion, is a direct reflection of coaching. That issue was rectified this year.

Boise State’s victory over Utah State on the road this season was the turning point in my mind regarding my opinion on Harsin being a bust or not. That was a game that a younger Harsin would have lost.

Instead, Boise laid the wood to the Aggies. Embarrassing them in almost every phase of the game. That was a well-prepared football team that arrived in Logan and Harsin deserves the credit.

Does this mean that everything I have said about Harsin has been wrong? No. I still think he has thin-skin, I still think he has the charisma of a boiled potato, and I still do not think he is a “lifer” at Boise State. Feel free to disagree with any of that – not that I need to tell any of you to disagree with me.

What I was wrong about though was that Bryan Harsin might be a bust as the head coach of Boise State. He has firmly and emphatically “handed me the L” as the kids would say. So, for the record let me state this one more time.

My name is Stubbs McGillivray-Zanelli, and I was wrong about Bryan Harsin…sort of.