Bruce Pearl | Auburn Men's Basketball HC

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See store for details. We continue this Zach Gelb show coast to coast on CBS Sports Radio. Growing up as a kid on Long Island, whenever I would go to the Suffolk YJCC, I would always see photos of Bruce Pearl because the Suffolk YJCC, which is my gym, is also home to the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. And I know Coach Pearl is a proud inductee of the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. He's also a sensational basketball coach, Auburn SEC Tournament champions. And now they're off to the big dance.

Once again, they have it rolling as a four seed in Spokane, Washington, going up against Yale coming up Friday afternoon. And now joining us on the Zach Gelb show is Coach Pearl. Coach, always great to see you. Congrats on all the success and how you've been. Zach, been great. I've been great.

Thank you. And very excited, very blessed to still be playing in March Madness. And excited about the opportunity to play Yale on Friday. So it was such a fun moment for your program to win the SEC tournament. And in that moment, we just saw the genuine emotion that you had remembering your father, who unfortunately passed away in August. I thought it was a sad, a beautiful and a neat moment.

Just kind of reflect on what you were experiencing after winning another SEC tournament. You know, Zach, I think it's something every all of us can relate to. I think when they saw my emotions, it touched everybody because everybody's had that happen at different times. And they know that I just wish that he could have been there in person so I could have watched him enjoy and laugh and cry and hug him.

But my faith is strong and so is his. So I know very well that he was present. And, you know, your family is your team and your family is your coaching staff. And, of course, my family was all there as well. And so I wasn't the only one that lost my dad. My staff knew my dad really well.

I used to walk around town. He was the real BP. He was the real head coach at Auburn, right? And when he died, when he was getting closer, he asked me, he said, do you think the Auburn fans would be okay if I wore my Auburn basketball shirt, you know, when they laid me to rest? And my dad went to Northeastern.

He wasn't a Southern guy, you know? I said, Daddy, I think they'd be honored. So it was a special moment and great, great to win the championship and especially a little good.

And now we're, you know, we're still playing. I know your players are your family. And then you also have your son who you coached and has been on your staff since you got there at Auburn. I know it's a different relationship when you're coaching your son, but to be able to coach aside your son and to see him rising in this sport just as a dad, that has to be the ultimate honor and joy.

Right? Oh, it's unbelievable. I mean, I've been so blessed to have, you know, Stephen with me his whole life, right? But now that he's a young man and got a beautiful wife and Brittany and a wonderful family, to be able to share in this work and this ministry is even more special. And he does a phenomenal job. He's one of the top assistants in college basketball.

And it's awfully fun doing this together. We all know, Bruce Pearl, you want to be successful when you get a job like this. You've had success at Auburn, but more importantly, you've had sustained success to win that SEC tournament championship once again. Just what does it mean and what does it say about the state of the Auburn Tigers basketball program? Well, you know, Zach, it's not a time to reflect because we're in the middle of it right now. But we have won four championships with four different teams in the last seven years. And I'm very proud of that.

I am. The reason why this team has been so successful, they're talented, they like each other, they play well together, they've improved throughout the season. This, I think ourselves and maybe Iowa State were two teams that weren't picked in a top 25 or certainly, you know, not the top 10.

And both of us find ourselves there. And when you are able to do it in a year when you're not supposed to do it, we're picked sixth or seventh in the SEC and we wind up being able to win the championship tied for second regular season. It tells you how hard the guys have worked, how far they've come in the position that we put ourselves in right now. How did your team specifically do that to exceed the expectations this year? I think bought into the fact that we had to guard our only chance to beat Yale who plays, who's got such a veteran team, such a smart team, such a dangerous team from three. They run beautiful offense.

They don't get rattled. They led Kansas at Kansas for 30 minutes early in the season. They had a double digit lead over Gonzaga here in Spokane during the season and won in the Ivy League with really good teams in the Ivy League. And the Ivy League has got a history of coming in the tournament and upsetting people.

Like last year with Princeton beating number two Arizona. So we got to guard. We got to guard without fouling. We got to try to disrupt it but not, you know, not be impatient. And then you better take advantage of what Yale doesn't get enough credit for. They were the best defensive team in the Ivy League.

And so the reason why they're so, I think they're like 328 in pace is because they make you take time to get good looks. You're not going to just go down there against all thoughts back and get something easy. They're not going to beat themselves. So we recognize that. We understand that. It's hard to run through the SEC and play anybody that looks anything like them. And so it's going to wind up that can we adjust to a game that'll be played at a different pace?

That's going to be the real key. Coach Bruce Pearl here with us. His team tips off the NCAA tournament on Friday up against Yale. Sometimes when you win a conference tournament and then everyone's praising you, people wonder if you're going to overlook the opponent.

I could already tell by the way that you have been kind of talking about Yale. That's not a concern with your program going from the high of winning the SEC and then getting a 4-13 matchup. No, we won't overlook them. But we've got to be able to be excited about playing them. And we'll try to show them where by having great effort and energy and great focus, you can be effective. And we'll try to show them, look, here's some situations against really good teams that they didn't take them real seriously and it'll make you look bad. So, you know, you're still dealing with young people.

Our guys should have celebrated Sunday night and even Monday and into Monday. And you can't help waking up recognizing that you're a champion and feel good about it. At the same time, you work all year long. I mean, you work your whole life to put yourself in position to get in these tournaments and be able to advance. And so, you know, yeah, we respect our opponent. But we got to do more than just respect them. You know, we actually got to go beat them.

I know you probably don't need more motivation this time of the year. But when you win the SEC, I would think you guys would be better than a four seed. Did that message when you guys got the four seed kind of provide maybe a little extra motivation to your squad? I mean, the guys talked about it a little bit.

They wanted to know why we're ranked seventh in the country or fifth in Ken Palmer, fourth on this or and everything like that. And you can use that. But the bottom line is you're going to be great teams to get there anyways. So, you know, my big thing is why are we all out here in Spokane, Washington? And there's a beautiful place. And we're so excited about being here and everything. But we can get there because the AA will fly us here and you get treated really, really well. So we're grateful. But our fans can't get here. Our parents can't get here as easily. And for that, I just don't think it doesn't make a lot of, you know, University of Alabama, UAB, University of Alabama and Auburn are all in Spokane, Washington playing in this tournament.

It's not fair to our families and our fans. Wrapping up with Coach Bruce Pearl, his team back in the NCAA tournament, their SEC tournament champions, they play Yale coming up on Friday. Jedi Broom, I know we've talked about him in the past. But to get him into the program two years ago, coming over to Morehead State to see what he's been able to give you, now yesterday named a third team All-American. Just how about his growth during your time and your relationship with him?

You know, Zach, he's checked every box. You know, he had to go to mid-major Division I because he wasn't that highly thought of, wasn't a good enough athlete, wasn't this or wasn't that. All he does is go to Morehead State, get really coached, become an all-conference player there.

And then because as the opportunity to maybe transfer up, can I do it in the SEC? Well, let's see. Well, he does it. Last year, he was an all-conference SEC player. You know, we led by 10 in the second round against maybe the second-best team in the country, the Houston Cougars, and he had a lot to do with that. So he checks some boxes. Last year, he decides to come back for his senior year with a goal of being an All-American and winning a championship. And he's accomplished both of those things. And so, you know, he's done great. And I think it's an example of, you know, the hard work and belief in himself and growth and also recognition that when we as a team are successful, you know, you as an individual will be more successful than if you as an individual successful but the team fails. You know, part of the reason why he's an All-American, part of the reason why we won is because he's carried us.

But part of the reason why he's an All-American is because his team is ranked seventh in the country. You look at this team, you guys play your butts off defensively and you guys rotate in a lot of players, 10 players with double-digit minutes per game. It looks like this is a team with no ego. It looks like this is a team that's selfless. Is that a fair read of your program and how do you get your players to buy in when you're rotating their minutes so much?

That's certainly the way you try and play. And yet because the guys work so hard, they've all got to accept left. I got two point guards that are playing 20, they want to play 30. It's not a 60-minute game. I've got Denver Jones out there that, you know, could be, he could be one of the best guards in the league but he only plays 23 or 24 minutes. Katie Johnson would rather start to come off the bench. I mean, you know, you just go up and down the roster. Dylan Cardwell is a center and Chaney Johnson is a power forward. Those two guys are backing up two all-conference players.

You don't hear a word from them. They just, they write, they're ready when they go in there. They do play selflessly. But when they do get out there on the floor, we don't drop off.

We just get different. And so, yeah, this team, the strength of this team is the sum of its parts. And that's true with our coaching staff too. You know, we've got great, we've got, you know, head coaches get a lot more credit than we deserve when we're winning. Sometimes we get a little bit more too much of the blame when we're losing. But I've got as good a staff as there is in college basketball.

And it's been proven because my guys have stayed together over the years and so I'm very blessed and very grateful. The sport's changing with NIL and with the transfer portal. We've seen coaches that have been around a long time. Sometimes that expedites their retirement process. How much love do you still have for what you do and do you at all think about when you're going to walk away from coaching?

You know, Zach, as long as I can stay healthy and that's a challenge because of the pace that you have to, you know, that you have to work with. You know, it's an everyday deal. But that's what happens in this ministry. The kids deserve it. The university deserves it. The way we're compensated, you have got to.

And what's on the line, obviously. So, no, I'll do this as long as I can do it well and as long as I can stay healthy and as long as Auburn wants me to. Well, we know you're doing a heck of a job.

I don't see why they wouldn't want to keep you around for as long as possible. He is Bruce Pearl. His team won the SEC once again. They have Yale coming up on Friday.

Coach, always great to connect with DMC. Celebrate and save at Ashley's Anniversary Sale. With Hot Buys, your choice of colors starting at just $399. Ashley Sleep mattresses starting at $250. Plus, receive a free adjustable base with select mattress purchases and shop top mattress brands like Stearns and Foster, Tempur-Pedic, Purple and Beautyrest Black with 60-month special financing only at Ashley. Subject to credit approval, no minimum purchase required, minimum monthly payment, down payment, tax and delivery may be required.

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Financing subject to credit approval. Thanks so much for doing this. Great to be with you again, Zach.

It's always great to be with you at this time of the year. War Eagle. Celebrate and save at Ashley's Anniversary Sale. With Hot Buys, your choice of colors starting at just $399. Ashley Sleep Mattresses starting at $250. Plus, receive a free adjustable base with select mattress purchases.

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Minimum monthly payment, down payment, tax and delivery may be required. See store for details. Old man winter here. If I had it my way, it would stay winter all year long. Short days, wind chill, black ice, and a good polar vortex.

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