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- As Bryan Harsin’s job security at Auburn remains in question, his colleague was asked to comment indirectly on the situation.
- Basketball coach Bruce Pearl shared his thoughts on the jobs speculation and gave a very weird and drawn-out response that really says nothing.
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Late last week, a report surfaced in Alabama that speculated Auburn head football coach Bryan Harsin’s job might be in jeopardy. Since then, Harsin has defended himself vehemently, his daughter has pushed back against former players calling out her father, a myriad of players have shown their support for Harsin, and the university released a statement Monday morning.
Shortly after the statement was released, the Auburn basketball head coach was dragged into a routine media session. While he was there, he was asked a rather timely question.
Harsin was not directly named in the question. However, it was indirectly about the current situation of his colleague.
Pearl was asked about how he had handled public speculation about his future in a job in the past. In turn, he gave a very non-confrontational and bizarre no-answer.
Here is what Pearl had to say:
“Oh gosh: when you’re a coach, it’s kind of like ‘The Godfather’, when Hyman Roth says, ‘That’s the profession we chose’. And so we chose the profession because we wanted teach and connect with young people and make a difference in their lives. People don’t choose coaching or teaching for many other reasons. If you end up getting good at it, there might be an opportunity for coaching at higher levels. Then all of a sudden it becomes financially successful and a great job.
“But I chose to coach and for 45 years we didn’t live in a big house. We lived paycheck to paycheck because I was an assistant coach. I was a Division II coach, I was a mid-major coach. All my friends from college and all my peers, they were able to take care of their families much better than me, financially. So we do it because we want to make a difference in the lives of young people. We want to give back to our campuses, our communities and our universities. But we also understand the pressures that come with the job.
Peal’s answer doesn’t say much. In fact, it was actually more confusing than if he had says he doesn’t want to comment on another man’s business.
Meanwhile, Harsin’s future with the Tigers remains uncertain.