In another world, the Kentucky vs Auburn postgame press conference would be completely different. Bruce Pearl would have his hands on his head, and he’d ask a question no one could answer. “Why in the world would you ever want me to be your coach when I can’t win in Rupp?” Imagine walking into a packed Rupp Arena with the odds stacked against you and nearly forty years of history to break.

There were twenty-something thousand people praying on Auburn losing. Twenty thousand people who wanted nothing but blood from Auburn. That is what Bruce Pearl went through when Auburn clashed with Kentucky for the regular season championship. But why was the pressure so high?

Simply put, Rupp Arena wasn’t great news for Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl. He had been to Lexington with many teams, and the result was always the same. Not to mention, Auburn hadn’t beaten Kentucky at home for about thirty-seven years. So naturally, when the Tigers beat the Wildcats to secure the regular season championship, coach Pearl shed a tear or two.

On the Dan Patrick show, the show host asked Bruce Pearl when he last cried. The Auburn head coach was coming off of two consecutive losses, but Patrick got a completely unexpected answer from Pearl. “I probably cried after we beat Kentucky at Rupp and won the championship,” he said, pointing out how emotionally charged that win was for him.

With Auburn’s 0-15 track record at Rupp, it was a big deal to be awarded the regular season championship in Kentucky’s home arena. They’d deliver Mark Pope his worst first, limiting the Wildcats to 94-78. The Tigers out-shot, forced 18 turnovers, left their opponents scoreless for 12 minutes, and the Cats hardly had an answer. When Pearl broke the curse, he had said, “it’s what we do it for, to make history.” But it doesn’t come without efforts, pouring in blood, sweat, and tears into every win.

So when this team became a 5th in the last 8 seasons to win a regular season championship or a conference title, and at an arena as important as Rupp, emotions took over Pearl. “I guess the emotion of it all. Being really, really grateful.” he said, appreciating his family, his team, and his faith for the win. Auburn, according to him, are winners. “We are built to win, and compete for championships.” 

It’s not as if every championship is made equal, however. Like Pearl said, he didn’t cry after winning the Maui Invitational tournament. But regular season championships, conference titles, and ultimately, the national championship means everything to Bruce Pearl.

However, for someone so dedicated to winning, the Auburn head coach didn’t cut nets after winning the regular season title. It was quite a shock to see Bruce Pearl not celebrating his victories. Why exactly? Let’s find out.

Why did Auburn and Bruce Pearl refuse to cut nets after their last season game?

Auburn, in the last two games of the season, had a really tough time. Texas A&M and Alabama both toppled Bruce Pearl’s team as they struggled to execute their game plans, and ultimately lost a momentum headed into March.

But why did they not celebrate their championship? Well, Bruce Pearl has a rather simple answer for that. “We didn’t cut nets down tonight. And we didn’t have a celebration because, you know what, we lost the contest.” The Auburn head coach said, before pointing out that they actually won in Kentucky and celebrated there.

With the way the last week of the season went, however, Auburn has put the glory behind them. They have celebrated what needed to be celebrated, and it’s now time to get to work. “Winning championships are things that you’re going to celebrate your whole life. Never going to get taken away from you. But obviously that’s a rearview mirror thing.” Bruce Pearl’s words rang true as the experienced coach talked about moving forward from a successful season.

The Tigers now divert their attention towards the postseason. They are currently the #1 team in the nation, with Duke and Florida closing in rapidly. It will be interesting to see how the packed SEC tournament will treat the Auburn Tigers. The competition will be tough, but Bruce Pearl isn’t one to back down from an honest challenge!