AUBURN, Alabama. (EETV) - Auburn Head Coach Bruce Pearl has been named one of 15 late-season watch list candidates for the 2022 Werner Ladder Naismith Men’s Coach of the Year Award as announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club on Friday.
This season Pearl has led his Tigers to the No.1 rank in the AP poll for the first time in the 116 year history of the program.
Pearl is one of three coaches to lead three separate schools to a No. 1 ranking, leading Southern Indiana, Tennessee and Auburn. Pearl is the only coach to lead two SEC schools to No. 1.
The Tigers have put up a strong season under Pearl, going on a 19-game win streak from Nov. 25 to Feb. 5, sweeping both Alabama and Georgia for the first time since the 1950s, owning the single-season record for most blocked shots (227), second-longest road win streak (7) in school history, second-ever appearance on ESPN’s College GameDay and 14-straight sellout games at Auburn Arena.
Pearl is joined by Mark Adams of Texas Tech, John Calipari of Kentucky, Ed Cooley of Providence, Scott Drew of Baylor, Mark Few of Gonzaga, Steve Forbes of Wake Forest, Greg Gard of Wisconsin, Jeff Linder of Wyoming, Tommy Lloyd of Arizona, Bob McKillop of Davidson, Matt McMahon of Murray State, Kelvin Sampson of Houston, Shaka Smart of Marquette and Brad Underwood of Illinois.
Bruce Pearl and the Tigers will be back in action Saturday as they travel to Gainesville to take on the Florida Gators. The game is set to tip at 1 PM CST and will be broadcast on ESPN.
