With the 2025 March Madness tournament getting underway tonight, it’s officially the most exciting time of the year for college basketball fans. The Southeastern Conference, SEC, has 14 teams in the fray this year, including several legitimate title contenders.
Of the 14 teams in the SEC, this adds a lot of pressure to some of the coaches to deliver and bring a March Madness title not only back to their school but back to the SEC as a whole. On Sunday, Paul Finebaum joined “McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning” to discuss the upcoming tournament, including the SEC coaches facing the most pressure.
Paul Finebaum Names the SEC Coaches Facing the Most Pressure in March Madness
Finebaum started with the one who’s coaching the top team in the SEC, the No. 1 Auburn Tigers. Auburn’s head coach, Bruce Pearl, is under a lot of pressure to not only go far in the tournament but also win the whole thing.
According to Finebaum, Pearl has had the top team in the nation for the majority of the year. Coming off a massive upset last year, he has to make up for it this year with this opportunity in the tournament.
“I think the highest pressure is on Bruce Pearl for a lot of reasons,” said Finebaum. “Been number one most of the year, you know, he had arguably the best team as, as the season developed. And I think that I think a year ago, on that first weekend of the tournament when he got knocked out by Yale?”
“It still haunts a lot of people. And, if that were to happen, not in the first round but early in the tournament, I think it really would (disappoint). I mean, I saw some headline from one of your locals today about, you know, ‘Regular Season Bruce’. I mean, that’s not fair, but you get those raps.”
Finebaum also named Alabama’s head coach, Nate Oats, one of the top SEC coaches facing the most pressure. However, it’s not as much pressure as Pearl’s, considering how Alabama is entering the tournament. They reached the Final Four for the first time ever last year.
“I think Alabama is in a little bit of a different – I mean, maybe a month ago, I think the expectations were probably higher. They’ve come down considerably,” said Finebaum. “I think a good run for Alabama? It won’t equal last year if they don’t make it back to the Final Four but I think, I think Nate Oats has done enough.”
Another coach facing tremendous pressure is Florida Gators head coach Todd Golden. Florida enters the tournament as another one of the top teams, securing the last of the No. 1 seeds. They have quickly become favorites to win the whole thing.
“Then Todd Golden really does have pressure because they look like the best team in the country right now,” said Finebaum. “It’s kind of hitting people late, but I think it was that game at Alabama a few weeks ago that finally got everybody coalescing around them.”
The final coach Finebaum says has pressure on them to do well this tournament is Arkansas head coach, John Calipari. Calipari has accomplished already, getting the Razorbacks in, in just his first season as Arkansas’ head coach.
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“There’s one other thing that a lot of people are going to be paying attention to, and that is, can John Calipari win his first game?” Finebaum asked. “If he can’t, then a lot of the pundits out there already have the tweets ready to roll.”
While fans love March Madness, it certainly adds a lot of pressure on the coaches to do well, especially if their teams are expected to. One thing we know for sure is March Madness is here.
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