Photo by David Butler II
“Auburn hired Bruce Pearl as its new basketball coach Tuesday, bringing in a frequent visitor to the NCAA Tournament, a coach with SEC experience, a three-time national coach of the year and fan favorite.
Pearl coached at Tennessee from 2005 through the 2011 season, taking all six of his teams to the NCAA Tournament. He’s been an ESPN basketball analyst the last several seasons.
“I’m humbled and blessed to be back in the game that I love,” Pearl said. “I don’t know how long it will take, but it’s time to rebuild the Auburn basketball program, and bring it to a level of excellence so many of the other teams on campus enjoy.”
Pearl was the second fastest to 300 career wins in NCAA history, trailing only North Carolina’s Roy Williams. Pearl is a two-time SEC coach of the yeaer.
Auburn Athletics Director Jay Jacobs welcomed his new coach.
“From the moment I met Coach Pearl and heard his vision for our basketball program, it was clear he’s the right man at the right time for Auburn,” Jacobs said.
“Coach Pearl is a proven winner who will bring energy and excitement to our program. We have raised the bar for Auburn basketball, and I could not be more excited for our student-athletes and our future under Coach Pearl’s leadership. I know he agrees with me — it’s time to win.”
Read the entire release from auburntigers.com here