The Plains Are on Fire: Derek Mason Set to Leave Auburn For Oklahoma State

Bryan Harsin's first season at Auburn did not go exactly as planned, with the Tigers finishing with a 6-7 record, their first losing season since Gene Chizik's final year in 2012 where they went an abysmal 3-9.

Not that it REALLY matters, but for the record, Gus Malzahn went 12-2 and reached the BCS National Championship game in his first season on The Plains. For Harsin, things have now gotten worse here in the aftermath of his rough first season.

Defensive coordinator and former Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason has opted to leave Harsin's program after just one season, marking now the fourth assistant coach that Auburn will be replacing just a year into Harsin's tenure. Mason has reportedly been linked to the same position at Oklahoma State.

Replacing Mason at defensive coordinator will be assistant head coach and linebackers coach Jeff Schmedding, who served as Harsin's defensive coordinator during his final two seasons at Boise State.

Harsin also fired offensive coordinator Mike Bobo following a loss in the Birmingham Bowl to Houston and will replace him with former Southern Miss and journeyman NFL quarterback Austin Davis, who last served this past season as the quarterbacks coach for the Seattle Seahawks.

After an extremely disappointing first season, Harsin will hope that a complete staff overhaul will help get the Tigers back on the right track. However, questions remain all over the field. Not only did Auburn lose four staffers throughout and after the season, but an insane 14 players in the transfer portal as well.

Auburn doesn't have any kind of clear direction or even know who is going to be playing quarterback for them. So my question is, if Harsin couldn't get it right the first time staffing wise, what makes him think Auburn Harsin Staff 2.0 will fare any better? Maybe just MAYBE Gus Malzahn wasn't so bad after all, huh Tiger fans?