I've never experienced any of them, but I imagine there are three sleeps better than any other. Each carries a peace of mind that can only be acquired through the hard-earned knowledge that whatever waits for you on the other side of slumber can't possibly be as trying and stressful as what came before. They are:
1) The first night back home after summiting Everest.
2) The President and First Lady's last night in the White House.
3) The first night after leaving the Auburn football job.
Though wildly different in nature, all three are similar endeavors that take years off the life of anyone daring enough to try. Those who summit Everest only have to do so once in their lives; the Auburn coach has to play Alabama and Georgia every year.
In Auburn's case, the last coach to leave on something close to his own terms was Shug Jordan, a College Football Hall of Famer who retired nearly 50 years ago. Prior to Bryan Harsin, the last four Auburn coaches either posted an undefeated season, won a national title, or played for one. All four were pushed out.
Harsin, of course, never got that chance. Much of that was his own doing, yes, but also... he never had a chance. Harsin was pushed out 21 games in, with a 9-12 record, but if a certain faction within War Eagle Nation had gotten its way, his tenure would've lasted only 13 games. The university devoted weeks in the winter of 2022 to an ugly rumor regarding Harsin's off-field behavior, which appeared to many like a brazen attempt to fire him for cause.
"Unfortunately, social media fueled wild speculation, substantial misinformation and unfair attacks on good Auburn people," the school said at the time. "A feeding frenzy resulted that was beyond anyone's control. We regret the concern, anger, frustration or hurt that this caused any member of the Auburn family."
The die was essentially cast by that point. Auburn dismissed Harsin on Halloween, two days after a 41-27 loss to Arkansas that dropped the Tigers to 3-5 on the year. Cadillac Williams coached the final third of the season, and Hugh Freeze is now the man in charge.
Speaking for the first time since then, Harsin sounds like a man who made tread marks speeding out of town.
In fact, Harsin told ESPN's Chris Low that the family sold its home as-is, furniture and all, content to take as little of Auburn as possible with them back to Boise. Below are Harsin's quotes on his time at Auburn:
"I wasn't going to let it eat at me, no matter how s---ty some of the things were that my family had to endure."
"There were things we didn't like. There were things that were disappointing, on and off the field. There were things that I wish I would have done better, and there were things where we got a chance to see some of the worst in people."
"We dealt with it as a family, and it made us even closer, because that was the first real failure in a lot of ways because we were winning and had a lot of success everywhere else we'd been."
"You learn in every situation, the good and the bad. But when you really get tested as we were at Auburn, and it's the same challenge for your players, your true colors are going to show in how you handle it. Certainly, there are things we could have done better and things we would have done differently if you could go back.'"
"But we don't want to make (Auburn's perceived lack of alignment) our problem any longer. That's Auburn's problem."
For what it's worth, not all ex-Auburn coaches share Harsin's feelings about the school and its community. Chizik stuck around Auburn for years after his 2012 dismissal. Tuberville continued coaching but in 2020 successfully spun his 10 seasons atop the program into a victorious Senate race in the state of Alabama. And though he's busy now, one can definitely envision a warm return for Gus Malzahn to Jordan-Hare Stadium, perhaps on the 20th anniversary of the Kick Six.
It'd be an upset of Harsin ever steps foot on the Plains again. (The feeling is assuredly mutual on the Plains.) As he alluded to with ESPN, the match between school and coach was awkward from the start -- the Zoom interview cutting in and out, and the honeymoon period made awkward and distant by covid restrictions.
Harsin will clearly take 2023 off, and he's undecided by 2024. "We've moved on and being home has never felt better."