r/CollegeBasketball Syracuse Orange 1d ago

wowed by this

Post image
440 Upvotes

405

u/jdunnski1993 Auburn Tigers 1d ago

When he first was hired he would come to all the fraternity houses and ask us to come to games haha. What a journey

217

u/QuackadillyBlip23 Auburn Tigers 1d ago

Bro same, I remember being in a class in Lowder and him just coming in and asking the entire class to go to the game that night. So wild to think about how far the program has come.

141

u/OhKillEm43 Auburn Tigers • Memphis Tigers 1d ago

Dude routinely showed up at midnight with donuts and OJ at the library trying to drum up support

44

u/sliceboi Duke Blue Devils • UAlbany Great Danes 17h ago

I’m gonna cry that’s so cute

17

u/20Auburn 16h ago

He did that even when we were good. I was there from 16-20 probably not as regular

68

u/AUMedStudent Auburn Tigers • Virginia Cavaliers 1d ago

One of my favorite memories of college

35

u/lactosandtolerance Auburn Tigers • Marquette Golden Eagles 17h ago

So, did VA double dribble?

15

u/PeteyBoi21 Virginia Cavaliers • Old Dominion Mona… 18h ago

That’s a fun flair.

28

u/hairbare12 Auburn Tigers • Final Four 18h ago

He did it in three of my classes that day. He would stay behind and chat with anyone who wanted to talk too. Got to have a short conversation with him. He’s just the best

38

u/jdunnski1993 Auburn Tigers 1d ago

That’s awesome haha. Really is cool stuff. You somehow got downvotes def salty uga (football) fans lurking

9

u/dwntwn_drty_brwn Auburn Tigers 20h ago

Salty Tennessee fans

11

u/RunnerTenor Illinois Fighting Illini 16h ago

And UW-Milwaukee and Southern Indiana and Illinois.

People have long memories.

6

u/adthrowaway2020 14h ago

Dude leaves a wake of cheating and dirt in his wake, but he buys people donuts, so I guess that undoes all the bad things?

4

u/creaturefromtheswamp 9h ago

Tired take. Ask any recruiting hostess at damn near any school if they cheat. They’ll tell you yes and if you can find one from 30 years ago they’ll tell you the same. He got caught having a recruit over for a BBQ and he lied about it. Well over a decade ago now. People make mistakes. That’s certainly not an unforgivable one.

So many people on a high horse when it comes to Bruce Pearl. Move the fuck on already.

0

u/adthrowaway2020 9h ago edited 9h ago

Nah man. Dude torpedoed the Illini because he missed out on a recruit, then proceeded to cheat in the exact same way. Fuck him forever.

To quote Deon Thomas: "It's hard to forgive a snake"

EDIT: isn’t he CURRENTLY on probation again for cultivating a program where a federal informant committed bribery?

1

u/chillypete99 Texas Tech Red Raiders 8h ago

Tired take > your take, though. I'm sure the Auburn faithful loves him, and I completely understand why, but Bruce is a grade a douchebag.

2

u/creaturefromtheswamp 7h ago

Can you elaborate on why you believe he is a grade A douchebag?

-2

u/chillypete99 Texas Tech Red Raiders 7h ago edited 7h ago

Go to his Wikipedia page, scroll to:

Pearl/Thomas incident (1988–1989)

Also see what happened at Tennessee...

It is the lying and instructing others to lie that is the true character flaw. You don't change that. That is who he is. He is a liar, and someone who tells other to lie, and even worse, feels comfortable intentionally getting others in trouble when he is beaten at the same game.

MAJOR CHARACTER FLAWS THERE. LIKE SUPER MAJOR CHARACTER FLAWS. THE KIND YOU CANNOT IGNORE, ACCEPT, OR DOWNPLAY.

That is the type of person I would never associate with, hire, work for, or even be casual friends with.

The funny thing is, most coaches with major character flaws are employed by SEC programs. The SEC schools don't really care about ethics or character. They are all about winning.

No other conference has such an amazing track record of hiring truly awful human beings after they have been exposed.

2

u/avolkster Iowa State Cyclones 12h ago

That’s my biggest problem with him…if it wasn’t for all of the shady things he’s done through his career I’ll be ok with the success of the Auburn program. Heck…I remember when Auburn was one of the 1 seeds in the 1999 tournament and I was rooting for them to win it all.

0

u/dwntwn_drty_brwn Auburn Tigers 13h ago

Too true

10

u/xbox-NU0 17h ago

Went to CofC and Pat Kelsey (new Louisville headcoach) also did this with fraternity houses. Now that he is at Louisville he has been going around campus drumming up support and hyping up the games at "The Yum". Dude is a culture changer that's for sure. Hope to see him do big things with Louisville like Bruce has done with Auburn.

3

u/MegaAscension Charleston Cougars 12h ago

Yeah, he’d show up in the dining halls and had his golf cart he’d drive around campus. I hope Coach Mack does that some.

3

u/PitJoel 14h ago

We love PK here in Louisville.

16

u/RawhlTahhyde Alabama Crimson Tide 20h ago

Avery Johnson did that at Bama as well lmao

14

u/QuackadillyBlip23 Auburn Tigers 18h ago

Avery always seemed like a solid dude. He did some good things for Bama’s program.

7

u/gpcampbell92 Alabama Crimson Tide 15h ago

He definitely got our recruiting on the right track, especially with Sexton, Herb Jones, and Kira Lewis, showing other recruits that we were a path to the NBA. He was a good dude, great recruiter, and did a lot for us leading up to Nate, but was not the right guy for a college team.

5

u/AU_Cav Auburn Tigers • North Carolina Tar Hee… 18h ago

Look at me!

3

u/Drmarsh 12h ago

He did the same thing when he got hired at Tennessee. I was in undergrad when we hired him and he would randomly show up in cafeterias and stand on a table asking students to show up.

5

u/ed42000 Duke Blue Devils 10h ago

This is so awesome. Pearl is great.

2

u/grahamdalf Auburn Tigers 12h ago

I remember playing in the basketball pep band my freshman year, which was his second year coaching at Auburn, and how bad that team was. Fast forward to being in the pep band again, but at the Final Four 4 years later, and the continued success after that year, it's insane how much he turned things around.

2

u/aleagueabovephoto 13h ago

At Mississippi State, Jans does the same thing. Hopefully he can take us to the level Auburn has been at for the past few years. Can’t wait for next Tuesday

121

u/MisterMath Wisconsin Badgers 19h ago

Not going to lie, I looked at this graphic then back to the comments for 5 minutes wondering why the fuck no one was making fun of Bruce Pearl coaching 108 seasons prior to 2014

19

u/ColoRadOrgy Duke Blue Devils 15h ago

Crazy he didn't get fired in those first 108 years with a record like that..

45

u/Travbowman Purdue Boilermakers 19h ago

In The 74 years of the NCAA tournament from 1939-2013, Auburn got 11 NCAA tournament wins.

Since Pearl arrived in 2014, they've already gotten 7.

-15

u/DoNotResusit8 15h ago

It’s almost like Auburn was setup beforehand with a robust NIL mechanism.

20

u/LilDewey99 Auburn Tigers 14h ago

Not a UNC fan trying to accuse Auburn of cheating

56

u/TampaTrey Tennessee Volunteers 20h ago

Bruce is like the only coach I know of who took on a full show-cause penalty, came back after it, and found even more success than he had initially. Has anyone else done this?

46

u/Much_Many_4615 18h ago

Kelvin Sampson?

10

u/TampaTrey Tennessee Volunteers 18h ago

True, idk why I couldn't think of him.

11

u/Alh12984 Auburn Tigers 16h ago

Superman, when Doomsday first killed him.

Edit: Oh, real people … 🤦🏻‍♂️

11

u/ColoRadOrgy Duke Blue Devils 15h ago

They say Jesus made quite the comeback 🙏

5

u/Alh12984 Auburn Tigers 15h ago

Haha, I initially was going to throw him out there, but figured it was too antiquated.

4

u/ColoRadOrgy Duke Blue Devils 15h ago

I initially was going to throw him out there

Judas?

2

u/tstitz Dayton Flyers 15h ago

lol I spit my water out at work. That was hilarious 😂

72

u/sildet Auburn Tigers 1d ago

Should've been one more tourney appearance in 2020 too. That team was starting to click at the end of that season.

-26

u/[deleted] 19h ago

[removed] — view removed comment

-27

u/tyrannyofwillsasso Illinois Fighting Illini • Southe… 18h ago

fuck your racism. spanish flu started on a pig farm in kansas. 

24

u/JuniusPhilaenus Auburn Tigers 18h ago

and Covid started in China

13

u/Falanax Auburn Tigers 17h ago

What was racist about what they said?

-12

u/tyrannyofwillsasso Illinois Fighting Illini • Southe… 16h ago

here we go, lol

10

u/Actually_Im_a_Broom Auburn Tigers 15h ago

I see you’re incapable of answering the question.

-11

u/tyrannyofwillsasso Illinois Fighting Illini • Southe… 15h ago

lol. auburn grads

6

u/Actually_Im_a_Broom Auburn Tigers 14h ago

Still struggling to come up with words? You’re asked a very simple question and all you do is “lol.” I’ve seen middle schoolers with better arguing skills than that.

6

u/Falanax Auburn Tigers 15h ago

It originated in Wuhan, China. What is racist about stating a fact?

Also, if that poster was implying the government of a country did something, that is not an indictment of the people of the country.

-2

u/tyrannyofwillsasso Illinois Fighting Illini • Southe… 14h ago

lol

8

u/Falanax Auburn Tigers 14h ago

It’s okay to be critical of the Chinese government. That’s not the Chinese people.

-1

u/PuffyTacoSupremacist 17h ago

You're talking to a guy who thinks it's amazing that Trump wants to call the Gulf of Mexico "Gulf of America." I wouldn't bother with him, he's clearly brainrotten beyond saving.

-3

u/Chuzzletrump Auburn Tigers 17h ago

He is not mentally stable, and i’m willing to bet real money that he struggles to get most of his sentences out without crying woke

36

u/kroxti Auburn Tigers 1d ago

That Pearl guy might be a good coach

12

u/mac-0 San Diego State Aztecs 1d ago

Bruce Pearl is on that Steve Fisher trajectory

39

u/pepe-_silvia 21h ago

he's the perfect coach for the NIL era. dude was way ahead of the curve

11

u/ColbysHairBrush_ Auburn Tigers 14h ago

Crazy to think about getting popped for hot dogs and now lambos are 100% legal

4

u/Kingolimar354 Texas A&M Aggies • Wichita State Shock… 16h ago

Bro knows a thing or two about backyard BBQs

0

u/chillypete99 Texas Tech Red Raiders 8h ago

Yeah, he and Kelvin Sampson both... because all of the illegal and unethical shit they did in the past became just fine now.

13

u/UsedandAbused87 Florida Gators • Northwest M… 16h ago

Bruce should also get credit for making Tennessee what it is today. If he stays there I think they get a couple of shots at a natty. Tennessee has has very little high end success before he got there and he really opened the eyes to the basketball world in Knoxville.

42

u/mwo0d2813 Alabama Crimson Tide 1d ago

As much a testament to how horrible Auburn was at basketball for their entire existence as it is that Bruce Pearl is an amazing coach and turned around the program and stayed

-25

u/CupThin4734 Alabama Crimson Tide 1d ago

Lol

-64

u/popeofmarch Kentucky Wildcats 1d ago

it really explains so much about how insufferable their fanbase can be about basketball. They literally had nothing before he got there

17

u/FirstPackOut Florida Gators • Mobile Rams 17h ago

The irony.

56

u/Actually_Im_a_Broom Auburn Tigers 21h ago edited 20h ago

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a comment where “get over yourself” is more appropriate.

0

u/popeofmarch Kentucky Wildcats 13h ago

🤷‍♂️

29

u/dwntwn_drty_brwn Auburn Tigers 20h ago

Calm down Adolph

18

u/Dramatic_Term360 19h ago

Pot calling the kettle black

15

u/principaljohnny 1d ago

Us? Insufferable? No way.

6

u/Aggravating_Door_109 Auburn Tigers 15h ago edited 14h ago

Ok Kentucky, sorry you aren't the only good basketball school in the SEC anymore. Say you're mad lil bro.

2

u/creaturefromtheswamp 9h ago

Yeah…very few just start out amazing and continue the amazingness for the entire existence of the program. Are Auburn fans not suppose to be happy and have fun with it? What do you expect them to do?

Also, a Kentucky fan talking about any other fanbase being insufferable is rich.

-31

u/Helicopsycheborealis Alabama Crimson Tide 1d ago

All I'll say is it's fun to observe. Especially with 'The Jungle'. AU has a history of not giving 2 shits about NCAA violations; see Pearl's and Ellis' history (same with fball).

29

u/Actually_Im_a_Broom Auburn Tigers 19h ago

Im really curious how you managed to shoehorn NCAA violations into this conversation. That’s quite the stretch.

5

u/Need_Burner_Now Auburn Tigers 14h ago

Hilarious coming from a Bama fan. You must be a bandwagon or too young to remember the 90s and 2000s. Or the FBI agent testifying under oath Bama paid Sexton. Or the bball player that murdered someone. Enjoy your glass house and pile of stones.

4

u/five-oh-one Arkansas Razorbacks 12h ago

I have it on good authority that Alabama Jones never paid players...

1

u/chillypete99 Texas Tech Red Raiders 8h ago

Both can be true. Bama and Auburn can both have coaches with no ethics or souls.

1

u/creaturefromtheswamp 9h ago

Alabama has been forced to vacate wins and been on probation since Auburn has had any of the such.

14

u/HoosierCoc 1d ago

USI Legend

1

u/dbtizzle Purdue Boilermakers 17h ago

Wow, how did I not know that. He was there for a decade!

10

u/Ih8Hondas Missouri Tigers • New Mexico Lobos 1d ago

Is he going to be the Norm of Auburn where he retires with over 50% of the schools all time wins?

15

u/attaboyspence Auburn Tigers 18h ago

Let’s have a look, here are some numbers:

Coach K retired at 75, Pearl is 64 (Norm retired at 64)

Auburn has 1469 all-time wins, 214 with Pearl and 1255 without so unless he coaches until he’s 115 (0.653 winning % at AU, 31 game regular season) it’s safe to say he won’t reach that mark

5

u/Alh12984 Auburn Tigers 16h ago

Let the guy talk. His optimism is giving me an elongation

2

u/Ih8Hondas Missouri Tigers • New Mexico Lobos 13h ago

Hm. Guess he should have tried being younger.

6

u/MistaB784 North Carolina Tar Heels 15h ago

I just love Bruce Pearl. Very happy to see him succeeding.

16

u/Tasty_Path_3470 St. John's Red Storm • Rutgers Scarlet Kn… 20h ago

As other coaches are retiring because of NIL, Bruce Pearl is furiously rubbing his hands together like a fly on shit. He’s literally the perfect coach for this era and environment. This isn’t even a shot at him. You got guys like Jay Wright who doesn’t want to deal with it and leaves, and guys like Saban that didn’t like the even playing field with other teams and the players themselves. Pearl has always come off like a full time used car salesman and a part time snake oil salesman, but he can coach a fucking basketball team.

3

u/five-oh-one Arkansas Razorbacks 12h ago

You and I can hate Pearl all we want but there is no denying that his kids like playing for him, always have.

2

u/creaturefromtheswamp 9h ago

Yeah, I see some folks say that kind of thing but his current and former players seem to love him. The people that I know who have had actual interactions with the guy have pretty positive things to say.

5

u/JuniusPhilaenus Auburn Tigers 19h ago

If Auburn makes the final four or better I would be surprised if he didn't retire this year

6

u/Tasty_Path_3470 St. John's Red Storm • Rutgers Scarlet Kn… 19h ago

The NCG seems to be his white whale. If they win it all I could definitely see him going out on top.

9

u/JuniusPhilaenus Auburn Tigers 19h ago

yeah but last week he was saying he wasn't going to be one of those guys who coaches into his 70s, he's about to turn 65, has been setting up Steven Pearl to take over, and this is his best team ever and probably his last chance at a NC

if he doesn't get there and still gets elite 8/final 4 I wouldn't be surprised if he retires

6

u/Tasty_Path_3470 St. John's Red Storm • Rutgers Scarlet Kn… 19h ago

And you know what, good for him. He deserves it and has the sense to not go past his expiration date.

1

u/chillypete99 Texas Tech Red Raiders 8h ago

Generally speaking, when a HC turns the team over to another guy with the same last name, the program becomes a complete turd. See Texas Tech transition from Bobby Knight to Pat Knight.

0

u/JuniusPhilaenus Auburn Tigers 8h ago

Yep I don’t have high hopes

-3

u/FedGoat13 UConn Huskies 14h ago

You’re half right. Pearl is great with NIL, but a horrible basketball coach.

5

u/five-oh-one Arkansas Razorbacks 12h ago

On what planet is he considered a horrible basketball coach?

3

u/Pope_Bedodict1 Auburn Tigers 12h ago

Apparently going to a final four makes you a horrible coach. Crazy work

0

u/bcocfbhp St. Joseph's Hawks 18h ago

Reminder Wright left because of family issues not because of NIL.

6

u/wutsdasqrtofdisapt San José State Spartans 1d ago

Legendary stuff

11

u/ninjatom21 Illinois Fighting Illini • West Virgi… 16h ago

All my homies hate Bruce Pearl.

1

u/Money_Confection4686 Illinois Fighting Illini 8h ago

He did Deon dirty…

5

u/ConsiderationOld9897 Auburn Tigers 14h ago

Y'all aren't ready for the Pearl dynasty.

1

u/Working-Doctor9578 Duke Blue Devils 16h ago

Bruce is a hell of a coach. Can be a complete ass, but he’s done more with Auburn and Tennessee than anybody else in the last century. Now Rick has Tennessee rolling and Auburn is good. Should be fun boys!

1

u/Parelle Louisville Cardinals • Penn Quakers 11h ago

So, he's still got weapons?

1

u/Bill3ffinMurray Nebraska Cornhuskers 8h ago

The story of Auburn basketball gives me hope.

1

u/aka_booba 6h ago

I’m a UConn guy, but love Bruce Pearl. Hell of a coach and leader.

1

u/five-oh-one Arkansas Razorbacks 12h ago

Thanks, I hate it!

1

u/RepealMCAandDTA Tulsa Golden Hurricane • Georgetown Hoyas 12h ago

Auburn's season-per-season rate hasn't budged since he was hired. Honestly pathetic.

-18

u/MarathoMini 19h ago

Nobody cheats as good as Bruce.

13

u/AU_Cav Auburn Tigers • North Carolina Tar Hee… 18h ago

Flair up

2

u/creaturefromtheswamp 9h ago

You don’t know ball at all.lol

0

u/MarathoMini 9h ago

I just know the biggest cheat.

-13

u/GoofyUmbrella Xavier Musketeers 17h ago

Cheating does wonders…

11

u/D4venport Auburn Tigers 16h ago

Describe to me his cheating ways, and please be as detailed as you can.

2

u/GoofyUmbrella Xavier Musketeers 14h ago

It’s Pearl. I don’t need evidence.

2

u/creaturefromtheswamp 9h ago

No, you do. Cheating is pretty commonplace in college sports for at least the last 40 years. What has Pearl done differently that qualifies for the hate? He got caught. He lied. Those are definitely mistakes. Hardly uncommon and definitely not unforgivable, though.

3

u/D4venport Auburn Tigers 14h ago

Fair enough. Why do we need facts when we can just have baseless opinions instead?

-19

u/Chimsley99 UConn Huskies 19h ago

I think it should also be mentioned that this happened during the NIL era which I feel helped Pearl be successful at Auburn, no?

23

u/2-59project Indiana Hoosiers • North Carolina Tar… 19h ago

Pearl had plenty of success before NIL, Auburn won the SEC in 2018, and in 2019 won the SEC tournament and made a Final Four. He has arguably had more success pre-NIL than since.

-2

u/H0b5t3r Big Ten 15h ago

Not surprising he was more succesful before everyone else was playing by NIL rules as well.

-18

u/Chimsley99 UConn Huskies 19h ago

I never said pearl needed NIL to succeed… I said it’s a factor

16

u/Mawx Michigan Tech Huskies 19h ago

He had already turned the program around prior to NIL...

5

u/2-59project Indiana Hoosiers • North Carolina Tar… 19h ago

Are you talking just about this season? If so, I can see that perspective. Four of their top six players are transfers, so NIL likely played a role in bringing them to Auburn. Still, I wouldn’t say NIL has been a contributing factor in Pearl’s overall success at Auburn. It actually might have made things more challenging, given Auburn’s historical level of success and support compared to other top programs.

3

u/RevBigHair 14h ago

Most of those guys came from smaller schools. Not sure that fits the NIL buying better players model. Broome was highly rated transfer, but others like Jones and CBM were relative unknowns.

If anything they lost out on a number of recruits that were more attracted by higher bids to other schools.

-2

u/RogerPenroseSmiles Illinois Fighting Illini 8h ago

I hope he gets dick cancer.

-1

u/Money_Confection4686 Illinois Fighting Illini 8h ago

Well, he’s known to cheat…

-13

u/BamaX19 Alabama Crimson Tide 19h ago

Wait, they only made the tournament 8 times before 2014? When did the tournament start?

1

u/Perfect-Rooster2253 South Carolina Gamecocks 5h ago

Can’t believe he’s been there 10 years.