On3’s Justin Hokanson wasn’t entertaining a fan’s theory that Bruce Pearl is just the hardwood version of former Auburn football head coach Gus Malzahn — breaking down the differences between failing to deliver a national championship in basketball, where over 200 more teams are eligible to win it all, and the 128-team Division I FBS.
“Whew, serious? CBB is a hell of a lot different than football — there are 350+ Division I CBB teams, so winning a title is insanely hard Final Four, two regular-season SEC titles, SEC tourney title, NBA players…what Pearl has done at Auburn is mind-blowing to me to be honest,” Hokanson said in response to the fan’s assertion.
Malzahn was in his second season on the Plains as head coach when Pearl made his debut with Tigers hoops in 2014. The two are notoriously close, so Pearl would hardly reject the comparison to the national championship offensive coordinator at Auburn in 2010.
Bruce Pearl on the day Auburn football fired Gus Malzahn: ‘Tough day on campus’
Pearl revealed in December 2020 how hard it was on him and many at AU when Malzahn was fired; reflecting on how Malzahn influenced the Boston native on how to run his basketball program.
“Yesterday was a tough day here on campus,” Pearl said of December 14, 2020, when Malzahn was dismissed (h/t AL.com). “And I just, obviously, being an old ball coach, you hate to see another old ball coach leave the program. And so, I have so much respect for Gus and Kristi and that coaching staff and that family. I’ve learned so much from them. I’ve absolutely taken their lead. Gus has been the leader of our coaches. You know, people don’t give him near enough credit for how he did lead our coaching staff in so many ways. He is a dear friend. I feel fortunate to be his friend.”
Malzahn is currently struggling at UCF in the Knights’ first season in the Big 12, while Pearl looks to lead the Tigers back to the Sweet 16, and ideally beyond, after two straight Round of 32 eliminations in March Madness.
The two will always be Auburn men deep down, though, and their stories will always be intertwined because of the six fruitful years the two spent together leading AU’s two biggest programs.