Bruce Pearl and the Auburn Tigers won the SEC Championship on Sunday, but their gritty victory wasn’t what had him in tears. Pearl was deeply missing his biggest supporter — his dad — who passed away in August 2023.
The Auburn men’s basketball team completed one heck on an SEC Tournament on Sunday. While they didn’t have to play a top-ranked team like Tennessee or Kentucky, they did manage to take down No. 5 (South Carolina) and No. 9 (Mississippi State) before taking down the No. 6 Florida Gators.
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Auburn does not have a true standout star on its roster. Still, the team has things that definitely help, like the ability to win isolation match-ups, superb defense and quality depth at nearly every position. A perfect combination of those things helped them, and head coach Bruce Pearl, win the SEC Tournament. But, all Pearl could think about as the clock was winding down was his dad.
"I lost my dad in August. He was my biggest fan. … I wish he was here." 🧡@MartySmithESPN spoke with an emotional Bruce Pearl after Auburn's SEC title win. pic.twitter.com/DJZKD9nH3u
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) March 17, 2024
"I lost my dad in August. He was my biggest fan."
An emotional Bruce Pearl after Auburn wins the SEC Tournament Final. pic.twitter.com/NrY15szhYr
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) March 17, 2024
Marty Smith of ESPN asked Pearl what moved him to tears. Here’s what he shared with viewers as he choked back tears during his interview:
“I lost my dad in August. He was my biggest fan…for me, I gotta thank my father…that’s why I’m so emotional. I wish he was here.
He worked hard. My dad worked six days a week, prayed on the seventh. We didn’t have a lot, but we had enough. I thought my dad was the best. So, I wish every kid had that, and that’s one of the reasons why I am hard on these guys. My dad held me to a high standard, and that’s why I hold these guys to a high standard.”
