Bruce Pearl Is Back In SEC, New Auburn Head Coach

Bruce Pearl

Auburn has made the big splash in the coaching carousel hiring Bruce Pearl as the Tigers new head basketball coach.

"I'm humbled and blessed to be back in the game 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."

"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," Auburn athletic director Jay 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."

Pearl is still serving his three year show cause which expires in August.  In the meantime Pearl won't be able to recruit this summer.

Pearl definitely has a reclamation project at Auburn.  In four years with Tony Barbee as

head coach the Tigers were 48-75 and 18-50 in the SEC.

Here's Pearl discussing the violations with Dan LeBatard
((HT: ESPN))


The three-year show-cause penalty expires on August 23rd.

In 2008, Pearl hosted three recruits, including current Ohio State star Aaron Craft at his home for a cookout – a secondary violation – and then lied about the cookout to the NCAA, turning a secondary violation into a major violation.

One of the larger points of contention was that two of the people on the committee that delivered the show-cause penalty to Pearl, Dave Didion, had to probably approve this idea and hire.

From Joel Erickson's al.com piece:

Dave Didion, who returned to Auburn as assistant athletic director of compliance last year, was the lead investigator on Pearl's case, according to a source, and the school feels that a strong compliance department led by Didion and compliance director Rich McGlynn will be able to guide Pearl well on compliance issues.

Didion also signed off on Auburn's pursuit of Pearl, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

The HQ will give Auburn this... they'll certainly win the press conference...

Now, just how much patience will AD Jay Jacobs have with this rebuilding process...

And Bruce Pearl was excited when he hit the ground...
((HT: Vine via gray_lane))