Auburn Football: 3 reasons Bryan Harsin was the wrong hire

2. Boise State is worse off than when Harsin first arrived

On the surface, it’s hard to ignore Bryan Harsin’s 69-19 record patrolling the smurf turf in Boise. But the truth is, the Broncos were never all that close to reaching the level of success they had under Harsin’s predecessor Chris Petersen.

Harsin’s best Boise team was in his first season, playing exclusively with players Petersen recruited and developed. That Broncos team won 12 games and the Fiesta Bowl in 2014, finishing 16th in the AP Poll. That was the highest finish for Boise State during Harsin’s seven-year tenure.

Under Petersen, Boise State was more than just a leading contender of the non-BCS schools; it had become a legitimate national contender. Petersen led the Broncos to four top-10 finishes, including two in the top-five. He led them to two undefeated seasons in 2006 and 2009, and had three other seasons where they finished with just one loss.

Harsin’s Broncos never finished a season with less than two losses. After finishing 16th in 2014, Boise State’s best finish in the AP Poll under Harsin was 22nd. It finished unranked in three of his final six seasons.

Perhaps the best example of Boise’s slip under Harsin is this: Petersen went 10-3 against Power Five competition while with the Broncos. Harsin was just 7-6 in such contests. Petersen took over a good program and elevated them to elite status. Harsin inherited an elite program and turned them back into a good one.

There’s a reason a lot of Boise State fans aren’t exactly saddened to see Harsin leave.

Boise State is such a well-oiled machine that it will be in contention under most coaches. Petersen elevated to them to a higher level than any, but the likes of Dan Hawkins, Houston Nutt, and Dirk Koetter all found success with the Broncos.

Hawkins, Nutt, and Koetter were all fired from their next jobs after leaving Boise.