The Auburn Tigers will not be firing embattled head football coach Bryan Harsin, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel and Chris Low. The university is expected to make an announcement on the decision Friday.

Harsin came under fire after a rocky first season as the head coach. He replaced Gus Malzahn following the 2020 season.

Auburn conducted an investigation into Harsin's program after a number of players and coaches left. Harsin recently went on vacation before returning this week and has been in limbo. He did meet with Auburn officials when he returned from vacation.

ESPN has details on why this inquiry into Harsin and the program was conducted:

At the root of the inquiry, sources said, was the overall volatility in the program and Harsin's treatment of players and assistant coaches. Auburn closed the 2021 season on a five-game losing streak, and after finishing 17th nationally (eighth in the SEC) in ESPN's early signing day rankings in December, the Tigers didn't sign any players in the February signing period.

Auburn examined whether there was any evidence that Harsin could be fired for cause. They recently paid Malzahn over $21 million in buyout money when they fired him in 2020, so having to pay Harsin close to a similar amount by firing him without cause would have been a tough pill to swallow.

Harsin has defended himself throughout this process, calling BS on any attacks on his character. He has received support from some current players, though some departed players were critical.

With Harsin sticking around Auburn for the time being, we'll see if he can turn the program around after this scandal.