Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl received good news in the most heartwarming way possible.
The No. 3 Auburn Tigers (27-4, 15-3) made their way to the top of the SEC this season, often dominating great teams in emphatic fashion. For his efforts, Pearl was honored as SEC Coach of the Year, and got the news from his grandkids.
Bruce Pearl’s Grandkids Told Him About Winning SEC Coach of the Year
Pearl’s grandkids surprised him with the SEC Coach of the Year news in his office, a video on Auburn’s social media showed.
BP received the news from some very important people in his life 🧡💙 pic.twitter.com/TRm9Jea05a
— Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) March 10, 2025
“It is great to be, you know, recognized by your peers,” Pearl said. “I get so much respect for the league, and I get so much respect for the coaches in this league. To earn their respect for the job that this team did this year, both in the non-conference as well as in conference play is something that I’m grateful for.”
“Some people act like it’s not a big deal like ‘awe.’ I don’t really care about the individual award, and I’d rather have the team awards for sure, but I’m too old. I’m too old to not worry about that anymore.”
Pearl certainly did his part in earning the award, outcoaching some incredible coaches and teams, including victories over No. 2 Houston, No. 5 Alabama, No. 8 Tennessee, No. 12 Iowa State, No. 16 Memphis, No. 20 Purdue, No. 21 Missouri.
The Tigers are currently projected as the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament, according to ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi, and rank second overall in KenPom rating, behind only the No. 1 Duke Blue Devils.
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Auburn earned itself a double bye in the upcoming SEC Tournament in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Tigers will face the winner of Thursday, March 13’s game between SEC No. 8 Ole Miss and the winner of SEC No. 9 Arkansas vs. SEC No. 16 South Carolina, on Friday, March 14 in the quarterfinals.
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