New Auburn football coach Bryan Harsin has signed a six-year contract with the school that will pay him an average of $5.25 million, according to documents released Monday.
Harsin, who came to Auburn from Boise State in December, is signed through Dec. 31, 2026. His salary begins at $5 million and increases by $100,000 on Jan. 1 of each year of the contract. Harsin’s bonus structure includes $100,000 for winning the SEC West Division and $250,000 for winning an SEC championship.
He will earn $200,000 for every New Year’s Six bowl appearance; $300,000 for reaching the College Football Playoff; $400,000 for reaching the national title game and $800,000 for winning a national championship.
If Auburn fires Harsin without cause, it will owe the coach 70% of his remaining salary through the contract term, half of which will be paid within 30 days of termination. The remaining 50% would be paid out over four years, and Harsin’s guarantee is not subject to offset or mitigation. Auburn had a similarly structured agreement with Harsin’s predecessor, Gus Malzahn, who was fired in December. Malzahn was owed more than $21 million on his contract, and he received half of the amount within 30 days. UCF last month hired Malzahn as its coach. Malzahn earned $6,927,589 at Auburn in 2020.
If Harsin leaves Auburn before the end of the contract, he would owe the school $7 million in the first year, $5 million in the second year and $3 million in the third year. His buyout then drops by $1 million apiece in the fourth and fifth years of the agreement.
Harsin, 44, earned $1.85 million at Boise State in 2020. He comes to Auburn with a 76-24 record in eight seasons as a head coach.