The firing of Louisville head coach Chris Mack hinted that a current SEC coach might be interested in the opener. Amid the chaos of Mack’s departure, rumors began circulating that Auburn’s Bruce Pearl would be interested in the job, as his team is currently No. 1 in the country.
During an appearance on ESPN’s “Keyshawn, Will & Max,” Bruce Pearl was asked about the job opening and his connection to a school known for its basketball. Jay Williams mentioned that Pearl had never been to a ‘basketball first’ school, which Pearl jokingly shot down, pointing to the Tennessee women’s program.
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AUBURN, AL – JANUARY 22: Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl reacts during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Auburn Arena on January 22, 2022 in Auburn, Alabama.
(Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
“I was in a basketball school, I was in Tennessee. Now it was a women’s basketball school, but it was a basketball school.
“Look, when you win, people are scared you’re leaving,” Pearl said. “When you lose, they pack your bags. … Look, Auburn is a fabulous place and it’s the best place I’ve ever been where I can develop players. It’s a small college town, the kids come here to grind, they’re surrounded by other student-athletes trying to grind and we’re about an hour and a half from Atlanta. As you know, Jay, there are a lot of good players in Atlanta.
COLUMBIA, MISSOURI – JANUARY 25: Head Coach Bruce Pearl of the Auburn Tigers leads his team against the Missouri Tigers in the second half at Mizzou Arena on January 25, 2022 in Columbia, Missouri.
(Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
Pearl didn’t really cut down the Louisville conversation during the interview. He could have easily said he was happy at Auburn and he is looking forward to school for a long time. But, whether on purpose or now, he left space for the conversation to continue.
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AUBURN, AL – JANUARY 22: Head Coach Bruce Pearl hugs KD Johnson #0 of the Auburn Tigers after their 80-71 win over the Kentucky Wildcats at Auburn Arena on January 22, 2022 in Auburn, Alabama.
(Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
The simple logic of this situation is that Bruce Pearl wants improvements to Auburn’s facilities, as well as more money from the university. This situation with Louisville could be the perfect opportunity for him to get both.
We’ll see what happens, but for now, Pearl is focused on winning his team over Oklahoma this weekend.