Bruce Pearl shares what it means to become second winningest coach at Auburn

As he has over the past few seasons, Bruce Pearl is making history with Auburn. He is now the second-winningest coach in the program’s history, gaining win No. 187 on Saturday against LSU. For a program that did not make the NCAA Tournament until the 1980s, it’s another milestone to show how great Pearl has been on the Plains.

When Pearl was asked what the accomplishment meant for him, he was honest with the media. Most head coaches would brush it off to the side but Pearl made sure to acknowledge the importance. In his eyes, earning that many wins shows how hard his staff has worked over the years.

“It means a lot to me because history means a lot to me,” Pearl said. “It doesn’t mean as much to me personally as it does for me and my staff. But I would be lying if I didn’t say that stuff matters. Because I talk about our team and our program, trying to hold up our end.”

When Pearl came to town, Auburn had five consecutive losing seasons. The streak extended to seven in his first two years but quickly turned around. The 2016-2017 season was a winning one but no NCAA Tournament was made. One year later, the Tigers were not just dancing but even got a win in March.

Since then, excellence has been the standard on the Plains. Auburn has made the Final Four, its only appearance in program history. Regular season championships have come in 2018 and 2022, while they cut down the nets at the SEC Tournament in 2019.

Auburn fans have embraced Pearl and become one of the school’s favorite programs on campus. While not all of the 187 wins have come during good times, they have stuck with him and are alongside their head coach, enjoying the moment.

Bruce Pearl still looking to improve Auburn despite milestone

In a classic head coach move, Pearl enjoyed his milestone for a moment before focusing back on this season. Auburn is continuing to rise in the rankings and right now, is just one of two undefeated teams in the SEC.

Even so, there is a ton of needed improvement Pearl believes. Auburn came in at No. 16 in the latest AP poll, a little high for his liking.

“We’re probably going to continue to move in rankings because it’s conference play and people are going to lose. I don’t think we’re the 16th-best team in the country right now. I think there are more than 16 teams better than us. We are better than what they thought but we’re not as good as they now think they are.”

Auburn will face Vanderbilt on Wednesday, hoping to go into Nashville for a win. Every victory will result in getting closer to becoming the winningest coach in program history, a spot currently owned by Joel Eaves.