Judging someone from a distance is complex and, let's be frank, not exactly a fair way to evaluate a person. We as humans do it, though. I've been guilty of it before, only to find that a person is entirely different than they come across on television or, in this case, Zoom calls.

This brings me to Monday night. For the first time since being hired in December 2020, I interviewed Bryan Harsin in person. Up to that point, everything was via video. So even though you see the picture on your screen, you still don't see their true body movements or get a sense of how they command a room.

Sitting in the Auburn Athletics Complex for 40 minutes while the coach discussed the beginning of spring practice, what he learned during his first year on the Plains and, yes, the saga that tried to oust him this offseason that had every plot point of a daily soap opera. I came away with a new appreciation for Harsin and saw why he could be so persuasive.

Before I go further, I have to mention eye contact. When you ask the 45-year-old coach a question, he's going to look at you the entire time while answering. Sure, Harsin has the skill of saying a lot without really saying anything meaningful, but you will get his full attention.

He says he's not bitter about what happened the past few months. Maybe he isn't, but there has to be a little resentment toward the people who tried to run him out of town without really giving him a shot. I would be bitter, I know, and I wouldn't blame Harsin if he were deep down.

On the Zoom calls since he arrived, I never got a sense of a personality from the coach. However, that changed on Monday, especially when I asked him if he learned anything from the past year that would help him in the future.

He genuinely laughed before saying, "Yeah. Yeah, quite a bit. That's a great question."

Harsin dominated the room. He was humble, at times funny and everything you would expect from a coach. His persona, in my opinion, was on full display for the first time.

Of course, this was at the beginning of spring practice and quite an easy time to be all positive. Even though I've covered Harsin for more than a year, seeing the coach as more than a figure on a screen was great. Harsin mentioned how great it was to have everything back to normal, putting faces to names, so it also makes a big difference for the coach.

We don't know how this season and the Harsin era will go from here. There's a lot of work for him and his staff to do to turn this program around to be a contender in the SEC. He's aware of that. He knows some problems need fixing.

The five-game losing streak to end the season won't disappear because of a good press conference. Neither will losses to rivals Alabama and Georgia.

But for now, the real Bryan Harsin was on display on Monday night. It's one that Auburn fans should get behind.