The day Auburn football fans were waiting for finally arrived on Monday. After poor performances on the field and seemingly endless controversy off it, Auburn finally canned head football coach Bryan Harsin after less than two seasons at the helm. It may have cost the school a hefty buyout, but it is well worth it to move on from this disastrous era.

By firing Harsin, Auburn continued an interesting trend in college football this season. The Tigers became the eighth team in the country to fire their head coach, and sixth among Power Five teams.

While assistants and unemployed former head coaches across the country will line up for all of these openings, some coaching vacancies are definitely more enticing than others. Let's go over four of the most attractive head coach openings in college football right now.

4. Arizona State Sun Devils

When discussing premier college football programs, Arizona State is far from the first to come to mind. Still, the Sun Devils have traditionally been a solid team and can usually do some damage in the Pac-12. The Sun Devils have finished above .500 in each of the past five seasons, excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 season where they finished 2-2.

This season has been one to forget in Tempe, though, as Arizona State is just 3-5 heading into November, seventh in the Pac-12. The Sun Devils hit rock bottom in an embarrassing  30-21 home loss to Eastern Michigan on September 17th. Head coach Herm Edwards received the pink slip immediately after the game, and more shocking details surrounding his firing have emerged in the weeks since.

Arizona State does have some red flags surrounding it. For one, the school's athletic director role remains in question amid controversy about the football program's alleged recruiting violations, despite a recent vote of confidence in current AD Ray Anderson. The school's standing in conference realignment is also in question, as it is reportedly one of the Big 12's targets after USC and UCLA announced their impending departure from the Pac-12 this summer.

However, the Sun Devils offer a good, if not great, history of winning and solid recruiting. The right coach may be able to take this team from solid to being a legit conference contender.

3. Nebraska Cornhuskers

If any prospective coach is looking for a history of winning, look no further than Nebraska. The Cornhuskers were one of the biggest powerhouses in college football throughout the second half of the 20th century, finishing ranked every year between 1969 and 2001. In that same span, they never finished with fewer than nine wins and won five national championships.

Recently, though, Nebraska has experienced a massive fall from grace. The Huskers' last two head coaches, Mike Riley and Scott Frost, have both been duds, going a combined 35-50. Frost was especially bad at 16-31, and Nebraska showed him the door after an embarrassing loss to Georgia Southern on September 10th.

Even with those recent struggles, Nebraska's prestige still holds firm. The Huskers pulled in top-20 recruiting classes every year from 2019 to 2021, and finished just outside that threshold in 2018. For being in a small state without an abundance of talent, Nebraska has done well on the recruiting trail.

However, that prestige is a double-edged sword due to the immense pressure in Lincoln. Just look at Frost, who was once seen as the savior of the program and now become one of the most hated men in Lincoln due to his underperformance. That kind of pressure may scare off some prospective coaches.

Nebraska's head-coaching position is one that comes with a lot of risk, but also a lot of reward. If the Huskers can find a coach up to the task, they may be able to return to the glory days.

2. Wisconsin Badgers

Wisconsin is by far the most shocking team to have an opening at head coach this season. Paul Chryst has been a consistent winner at Wisconsin, compiling a 67-26 record and leading the Badgers to three division titles. However, the Badgers decided to go move on after a disappointing 2-3 start to the season.

The most attractive quality about Wisconsin is its recent success. The Badgers have made a bowl game every year since 2001, and are usually a threat in the Big Ten. They also have one of the most passionate fanbases in college football with a consistently packed stadium.

Wisconsin does have some drawbacks to it, though. Namely, recruiting has been below average and the school's facilities aren't the most prestigious. However, the ability to win should outweigh any concerns, and any coach should feel right at home in Wisconsin.

1. Auburn Tigers

The most recent head coach opening also happens to be the most attractive one. Auburn football has a number of qualities that make the program such an attractive destination.

For one, the Tigers have a strong recent history of winning. They have made a bowl game each of the past nine seasons, including a national championship appearance in 2013. They also won it all just a few years earlier in 2010, and are always competitive in the SEC West.

The biggest deterring factor has nothing to do with Auburn itself, but the team in the same state. The Tigers are always a solid team, but if they aren't on the level of Nick Saban and Alabama, the season will be a failure. Alabama also has a much larger pull in recruiting, which limits how much Auburn can attract premium talent.

Still, the prestige of an SEC program is too good to ignore. Auburn has the resources to compete with any team in the country, it just needs the right coach to take advantage of the opportunity.