Hoops facility key bargaining point for AU-Bruce Pearl negotiations

After eight years at the helm of Auburn basketball, head coach Bruce Pearl has undoubtedly transformed the program. With three one-and-done’s under his belt in Sharife Cooper, JT Thor, and Isaac Okoro, a trip to the Final Four, the first #1 ranking in program history, and what could potentially be a national championship run for this year’s team, it’s no surprise that BP is a wanted man for many college basketball programs.

In 2019, after an opening became available at UCLA, Pearl remained on the Plains and received a contract extension and salary upgrade. Now, in 2022, the next school to come calling is Louisville. The Cardinals officially parted ways with head coach Chris Mack earlier this week, and according to On3 Sports, they have reached out to Coach Pearl to make their interest known.

However, it seems to be apparent that Auburn University intends on doing whatever they can to keep BP as Auburn basketball’s head coach, and that includes upgrades to Auburn Arena and the basketball facilities.

Nathan King reports that a new practice facility has been on Bruce Pearl’s wishlist for quite some time, and the university’s Board of Trustees is expected to approve the upgrades at an upcoming meeting on February 4:

"Next Friday’s meeting should be, assuming it is approved, the beginning of Phase 1 for the project. The board is being asked to “authorize the commencement of the architect selection process” by Allen Greene, Auburn’s fourth-year athletic director, and Dan King, who’s been AU’s associate vice president for facilities for the past 14 years. A timetable for the project will likely be hashed out either at February’s meeting or the next."

The proposed project is said to include a second practice gym and renovation of existing team support spaces.

The bottom line is that if the university wants Auburn basketball to continue to be the competitive powerhouse they have become in the last few seasons, it is imperative that they invest in the facilities and the man who made it happen.