Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl was deeply moved on Sunday, as his team won the SEC conference tournament championship. Pearl and his Tigers defeated Florida, 86-67. After the game, Pearl was moved to tears while thinking of his late father.
"I lost my dad in August. He was my biggest fan."
An emotional Bruce Pearl after Auburn wins the SEC Tournament Final. pic.twitter.com/NrY15szhYr
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) March 17, 2024
“He was my biggest fan,” Pearl said after the game. The coach's father passed away in 2023.
Pearl can also cry tears of joy, as his Tigers are soaring into the NCAA Tournament with the wind at their backs. Auburn basketball bullied their way through the SEC tournament, defeating South Carolina and Mississippi State before knocking off the Gators on Sunday. Pearl thinks the team can keep that momentum going.
“Let’s go bring home some nets,” Pearl yelled out after the game, per AL.com. The Tigers were the no.4 seed in the SEC tourney, and enter March Madness with a 27-7 record.
Auburn basketball has found greatness with Pearl at the helm. The coach has reached a Final Four with Auburn, and has now won the SEC tournament twice in the last five years. The coach also won the SEC regular season at the Alabama school in 2018, and 2022. The Tigers are going to their third consecutive NCAA tournament under Pearl.
Pearl was also the head coach at Tennessee, Milwaukee, and Southern Indiana before his time at Auburn. He reached an Elite Eight at Tennessee, and took Milwaukee to a Sweet 16 in 2005. Tennessee parted ways with Pearl in 2011 after an NCAA investigation, and the coach joined Auburn in 2014.
Auburn basketball now awaits to hear their draw in this year's March Madness. The selection show is on Sunday evening.
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