Bruce Pearl believes he is 'clearly on the back nine' of his career

Bruce Pearl recognizes there’s only so many bites at the apple left for him at Auburn. The 65-year old has the Tigers back in the Final Four, but it’s paramount they make the most of their opportunity this time around.

There’s a fascinating in the Final Four this time around — experienced leaders in Pearl and Houston’s Kelvin Sampson, and faces of the new wave in Florida’s Todd Golden and Duke’s Jon Scheyer. While Golden (39) and Scheyer (37) may have decades remaining at their current schools to get the job done, Pearl knows this could be it for he and Sampson (69) in their quests to deliver a national title. 

With that in mind, Pearl tried to put his feelings on the matter into perspective. He’s not looking at his age as a negative, instead thinking about the experience he has over half the field, but it’s not lost on him that he doesn’t have unlimited time remaining in the sport either. 

“The only way I look at it is, Kelvin and I have fewer chances to get to where we are right now, whereas Jon Scheyer and Todd Golden will be back here many more times,” Pearl stated, via his pregame press conference. “Kelvin and I better take advantage of it this time ’cause we’re clearly on the back nine. I’m not on the 18th hole yet, but we’re getting closer.

“No, Todd and Jon don’t give up anything in experience. They just give up a little bit, and they don’t have as much gray hair. They may not have been beat down as much as Kelvin and I have been over the years.”

As you can tell, Pearl is in great spirits as always ahead of Auburn’s clash with Florida. It certainly will be a test for the Tigers, as the Gators were one of the few teams to beat them throughout the 2024-25 regular season, so a measure of revenge is on the table.

Additionally, there’s the added storyline of Golden being molded on Pearl’s staff at Auburn earlier in his coaching career. The two have a mutual respect for each other, but that’ll all go out the window when a chance to play for the national title is on the line in San Antonio.

Time will tell if Bruce Pearl can get the job done, leading the Tigers into battle against Florida and coming out the other side with a chance at a championship. For the Auburn head coach, this could be his final opportunity to win it all. We’ll see if he makes the most of it.