AUBURN AUTHORITY

Charlie Harbison will not be retained

James Crepea
Montgomery Advertiser
Safeties coach Charlie Harbison will serve as Auburn's defensive coordinator for the Outback Bowl.

AUBURN --Charlie Harbison was "still part of the team" on Thursday, serving as Auburn's interim defensive coordinator and safeties coach for the Outback Bowl, but he will need to find a new team now.

Harbison, nicknamed "Cheese," will not be retained on Auburn's defensive staff under new coordinator Will Muschamp, a source confirmed Sunday.

Auburn acknowledged Harbison's firing on Monday.

"I want to thank Charlie for his contributions to our program," Gus Malzahn said in a statement. "He was a true professional that was a positive example for our players."

The third member of the defensive staff fired, Harbison, who spent the past two seasons on the Plains, is owed $475,000 annually through June 2017 less any compensation he earns during that period.

"I've been in this business for a while, (uncertainty is) just part of it," Harbison said leading up to the Outback Bowl, which Auburn lost to Wisconsin 34-31 in overtime. "I let my work speak for itself and continue to go forward, continue to get these guys ready to play."

Auburn's pass defense ranked 68th (230.1 yards per game) and finished tied for the SEC lead and fifth nationally with 22 interceptions.

With Harbison tasked with calling the defense, Wisconsin gained 521 yards in the second straight game Auburn allowed such production, with running back and Heisman Trophy finalist Melvin Gordon running for 251 yards and three touchdowns in the greatest individual rushing performance ever against Auburn.

Ellis Johnson was fired as coordinator following the Iron Bowl and Melvin Smith was fired as cornerbacks coach prior to the Outback Bowl, per a source, though Auburn did not confirm the move until the hiring of Travaris Robinson as cornerbacks coach on Saturday.

Defensive line coach Rodney Garner is the only remaining member of the defensive coaching staff from the past two seasons.

AuburnUndercover.com first reported Harbison's dismissal.

Harbison, 56, was involved in a verbal altercation with senior safety Jermaine Whitehead prior to the Kansas State game, which resulted in a four-game suspension for Whitehead, who returned for two games on special teams before returning to defense for the final five games.

Despite an incident Harbison said was unprecedented in his over 20-year coaching career, he was "proud" of Whitehead and supported him prior to the bowl game.