Don’t expect to see Bruce Pearl and Kendall Gill sharing a meal together any time soon.
The controversial coach has been making headlines over the past three weeks, starting with his calling out Miami (OH) and questioning whether the RedHawks deserved a spot in the NCAA Tournament without an automatic bid despite finishing the regular season with a perfect record. The former Auburn coach argued that Travis Steele’s team needed to win its conference tournament, and if they didn’t (they lost in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals), they weren’t worthy of an at-large bid.
It was seen as a shot at mid-major schools and likely a ploy to get Auburn, Pearl’s son’s team, into the tournament.
Nothing went Pearl’s way on Selection Sunday, as the Tigers were the second team left out of the tournament, and the RedHawks were given an at-large bid, winning their first game in the play-in game in Dayton on Wednesday.
Pearl has been called out for homerism, and just recently, admitted that nepotism played a massive role in his son, Steven, getting the position at Auburn as his replacement.
But for those who have been paying attention to Pearl’s career for some time, this isn’t the first time that he has been involved in a controversy.
Enter Kendall Gill, the former Illinois star who played for the Illini from 1986-90. On a recent appearance on The Score Chicago, Gill gave his opinion on Pearl, and he didn’t hold back.
Kendall Gill is not a fan of Bruce Pearl
Some guys are just slimeballs in life, that’s what they are,” Gill said. “That’s the way I feel about the guy.”
Why the anger from Gill toward Pearl? It stems from an incident when Pearl was an assistant coach at Iowa. The Hawkeyes and Illini were deep in a recruiting battle for Deon Thomas, who ultimately chose Illinois. Pearl then recorded a phone call with Thomas, during which the recruit said the Illini had offered him cash and an SUV. Pearl then turned the tapes over to the NCAA.
No matter if you find him entertaining or not, Pearl is always interesting.