"Build the statue of our king now": College hoops fans react as Bruce Pearl makes Auburn history vs Texas

Fans reacted as Auburn coach Bruce Pearl secured his 214th win at the school on Tuesday, making him the winningest coach in program history. The No. 2 Tigers held off Texas 87-82 in a hard-fought victory.

With win no. 214, Pearl surpassed the benchmark set by Joel Eaves, who had set the previous best mark as the Tigers coach from 1949 to 1963.

College basketball fans reacted to an X/Twitter post by Auburn Basketball, heaping praise on Pearl for his accomplishment.

"Build the statue of our king now," one fan wrote.

"Congrats @coachbrucepearl! Your impact will be felt by generations of Auburn fans. War Damn Eagle," another one said.

"Thank you, Coach!! We’re happy beyond words that you chose to come to Auburn. Congratulations!!" a fan commented.

"Very appreciative of the Nevilles and their contribution to Auburn," one user tweeted, "But Neville Arena needs to be changed to 'The Pearl,'" hinting at a name change to honor the new coaching record holder.

Here are a few more fan reactions:

"Name something after this man. Love you @coachbrucepearl #WarEagle," another Tiger fan added.

"Bruce Pearl Court at Neville Arena," one user wrote.

"Thank you Bruce for making all Auburn fans & alumni proud!" another chimed in.

Pearl has turned the Tigers into a national power in his 10 seasons in charge, having led the program to their first Final Four appearance in 2019. The victory at Texas was Auburn's 14th win this season and their seventh straight.

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Bruce Pearl reacts to becoming Auburn's all-time winningest coach

Bruce Pearl began his coaching journey at Southern Indiana in 1992, with stops at Milwaukee, Tennessee and now Auburn. The three-time SEC Coach of the Year has amassed a career record of 446-219 over 21 seasons in NCAA Division I.

In the aftermath of his historic win, Pearl shared his thoughts on the achievement.

"It feels great. The guys dunked some water on me, we celebrated a little bit. Our president, Dr. Roberts, was here," the coach said. "I just want to reward Auburn for giving me the opportunity. That's how I look at it.

"I go to work every day, and I just try to reward Auburn for giving me the chance to be their basketball coach and letting me be a part of this Auburn family. I mean it from the bottom of my heart, so I'm grateful for our coaches and the players."

Bruce Pearl's total wins at Auburn would have been recorded as 227 if not for the vacated 2016-17 season, making his achievement even more impressive.

Out of the 18 wins from that season, the NCAA vacated 12 due to a scandal involving Pearl's assistant coach Chuck Person.