"If you're not Jewish I'm not losing to you": Bruce Pearl jokes about reason behind Auburn's strong run ahead of March Madness

Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl had a humorous take on why he didn’t shed tears after back-to-back losses to Texas A&M and Alabama. The Tigers struggled against the Aggies' physicality, falling 83-72 to a team that knocked off the nation’s No. 1 squad just weeks before the NCAA Tournament.

Auburn is determined to avoid being on the wrong side of history after suffering consecutive defeats, first in a 93-91 overtime thriller against Alabama, courtesy of Mark Sears’ game-winning basket, and then against Texas A&M.

Speaking on The Dan Patrick Show on Monday, Pearl explained his reaction to the losses:

“I'm grateful and blessed, and did not cry after we lost to Texas A&M and Alabama, because we've lost four games,” Pearl said (1:40). “We've lost to Duke, and we lost to Todd Golden at Florida, and those had been the only two losses we had had for a long time.”

“Only coaches in the country that I'm willing to lose to are Jewish coaches and Todd Golden,” he said. “Like, if you're not Jewish, I'm not losing to you.”

Meanwhile, Auburn’s strong season earned Pearl SEC Coach of the Year honors, as announced Tuesday. He edged out Missouri’s Dennis Gates, Vanderbilt’s Mark Byington, and Florida’s Todd Golden in voting conducted by 16 SEC reporters.

The Tigers are no strangers to March Madness. In 2019, they made an impressive Final Four run, and now, with the tournament approaching, they’re looking to make another deep push.

Bruce Pearl reflects on receiving the honor twice from the Associated Press

Bruce Pearl talks with his team - Source: Imagn

Bruce Pearl has been named the AP SEC Coach of the Year for the second time in his tenure. He becomes the first coach in program history to receive the honor twice from the Associated Press.

Reflecting on the achievement, Pearl credited his staff and the program's success, which includes five championships in the past eight seasons.

“I am honored, but it’s not something you take for granted,” Pearl said in a release [H/t AL.com]. “We have won five championships in eight seasons and it’s the second time I’ve won coach of the year. It’s not automatic and a great compliment to my coaching staff.”

With this recognition, Auburn looks forward to the SEC Tournament quarterfinals. The Tigers will face Ole Miss, Arkansas, or South Carolina at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. Tipoff is set for noon, with live coverage on ESPN.