Auburn: 2023-24 Southeastern Men's Basketball Champions

 

Long before he first arrived at Auburn as the school’s new basketball coach in 2014, Bruce Pearl was known for showcasing his emotions, whatever they may be in a given moment.

As the Tigers wrapped up an SEC Tournament championship Sunday, Pearl had no trouble showing exactly how he was feeling. In the waning seconds of Auburn’s 86-67 victory against Florida in the conference title game at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, ESPN camera crews cut to a visibly emotional Pearl standing on the sideline.

When asked by ESPN’s Marty Smith after the game why he was tearing up, Pearl discussed the extra meaning the accomplishment carried following the death of his father, Bernie, last August at the age of 88. Pearl described his late father as “my biggest fan.”

“How about the way Auburn showed up today?” Pearl said. “For me, I’ve got to thank my father. I’m just happy for the players. We played great. Florida’s a terrific opponent. That’s why I’m so emotional. I wish he was here.”

Bernie Pearl’s connection to the Auburn program was strong. Despite being born and raised in Boston, Bruce Pearl said his father asked him if he thought Auburn fans would be bothered if he were buried in a Tigers jersey even though he never went to school there.

"He was a loyal guy,” Pearl said in an interview with Auburn’s athletics website following his father’s passing in August. “He was grateful to Auburn for giving our whole family the opportunity to lead this basketball program. He watched or listened to every single game."

The SEC Tournament title is just the third in program history for Auburn, which also claimed the honor in 2019 before making a run to its first-ever Final Four. The victory improved the Tigers’ record to 27-7 overall, giving them the fourth-most wins in a season in Auburn history. Five of the Tigers’ six winningest seasons ever came under Pearl.

As he soaked in the achievement, those numbers meant little to Pearl. He was thinking about not only his players, but his father and the lessons that he passed down to him.

“He worked hard,” Pearl said. “My dad worked six days a week. He prayed on the seventh. We didn’t have a lot, but we had enough. I thought my dad was the best. I wish every kid had that. That’s one of the reasons why I’m hard on these guys. My dad held me to a high standard and I hold these guys to a high standard.”