Auburn football head coach Bryan Harsin, like all of us, appreciated the enthusiasm Bruce Pearl showed in support of the gridiron Tigers in their Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry matchup against the Georgia Bulldogs this past Saturday.
Though victory eluded Harsin’s Tigers against the undisputed #1 team in the country–with both Pearl and Auburn football legend Cam Newton in attendance–AU’s hardwood head coach had the Auburn family in a full fever pitch as he flexed shirtless alongside members of the basketball team in the student section.
And Harsin loved every bit of it.
He called the man that led the Tigers to the 2019 Final Four and the patriot screaming his lungs out at Toomer’s Corner at Tipoff at Toomer’s this past Thursday night ‘tremendous’:
"“I appreciate it, and really, you know, Bruce has been — we’ve talked about it: Bruce is tremendous for just this entire athletic program and obviously the football program,” Harsin said. “We appreciate that he supports us.”"
The result be damned, Pearl showed out on Saturday in a way that few coaches in the country could ever dream to.
BP embodies the orange and blue, and as an Auburn man, he clearly believes in Auburn and loves it. His smile lights up meeting a stranger on the Plains that feels the same way. That’s why on Saturday, he showed up for the first SEC matchup at Jordan-Hare Stadium this season ready to contribute in any way possible.
For those worrying a few weeks back about Pearl’s appearance at the Bounce House in Orlando, Florida in full UCF gear, have no fear. Pearl was only in the Sunshine State to support his old friend Gus Malzahn.
On Saturday, you saw a man that clearly loves Ole Auburn and took Dylan Cardwell’s shirtless flex against Georgia State to the next level with ESPN cameras watching.