Paul Finebaum labels Bruce Pearl as one of the most important coaches in modern history of SEC

Bruce Pearl has become an all-time coach in the Southeastern Conference, especially now after nearly a dozen years of work on The Plains.

Paul Finebaum placed Pearl among the best coaches in the league’s recent history on ‘McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning’ on Monday. That’s after taking part in, and winning, a top-two conference and in-state matchup between No. 1 Auburn and No. 2 Alabama.

“Well, I think, I think it just continues to solidify his role as, really, one of the most important coaches, really, in modern SEC history,” said Finebaum.

“I think he had already done that to a degree but there was just something really special about Saturday,” Finebaum said. “I know the game was fairly disappointing for a lot of fans but it was still a, it was still a magical moment for anybody who has watched college basketball in this state for any amount of years, especially for as long as I have.”

No. 1 Auburn won 94-85 over No. 2 Alabama in Tuscaloosa on Saturday in a wire-to-wire way. With that, the Tigers have lone possession of first place in the standings in the SEC at 11-1 and are at 23-2 overall to be all but certainly a No. 1 seed, specifically the top overall one, come the NCAA Tournament as of now. They also remained at No. 1 in the AP Poll as of Monday as well.

These are just the latest achievements in the eleventh season for Pearl at Auburn. With the win, Pearl is 237-121 (.662) as the school’s all-time winningest coach. He is also looking to add a fifth and sixth conference title in the regular season and tournament before a sixth berth, which could end up being his most successful, in March Madness.

Pearl has changed everything about basketball for the Tigers. That applies to their state as well between the work done by both he and Nate Oats.

“Well, I think it’s been a progression and I want to make it clear to the audience that it just didn’t start this year,” recalled Finebaum. “There were people that said, even as far back as forty years ago, if a team could ever get to the Final Four, it would change the dynamics. But I don’t think that would have even mattered. I think it just took time and I think it took the acceptance of basketball and I don’t mean that as in any way other than the fact that it’s always been a football state. I think basketball is a complicated sport. It’s like baseball. It’s a very, it’s a very, very deep and complicated sport and I think, gradually over the years, younger people started paying a little more attention.”

“I really think it’s been the advance of the coaching,” Finebaum said. “These guys? I mean, Bruce Pearl and Nate Oats are two of the three or four best coaches in America and I think the public appreciates that. As a result, everyone has followed suit in understanding the game a lot better.”

Pearl is already going down in program and conference history for his job done at Auburn. He can still go further too, especially depending on how this season ends for the Tigers.