"Don't let that sheepish look fool you": Bruce Pearl takes playful jab at ex-assistant Todd Golden ahead of Final Four matchup
The Final Four of the 2025 NCAA tournament is almost here and the No. 1-seeded Auburn Tigers and Florida Gators are preparing for Saturday's showdown between two Southeastern Conference powerhouses.
Interestingly, the connection between their coaches goes beyond the court. Auburn’s Bruce Pearl and Florida’s Todd Golden share a history since 2014 when Pearl hired Golden as the Tigers' first director of basketball operations.
Golden became an assistant coach before moving on to lead the University of San Francisco for six years. The coaches now find themselves on opposite sides of a high-stakes matchup.
During an appearance on CBS Sports Network on Tuesday, Pearl was asked by Jaclyn DeAugustino about his long-standing relationship with Golden, dating back to the 2009 Maccabi Games in Israel.
Pearl recalled coaching Golden during his professional stint with Maccabi Haifa in the Israeli Pro League and also sent a cryptic message in a playful banter.
“Well, at the time, Todd was actually a pro playing for, I believe it was Maccabi Haifa in the Israeli Pro League," Pearl said. "And we were able to convince him to join my son, Steven, and my agent, Steven Gruber, and Danny Grunfeld, was probably one of the best Jewish players in (the) history of college basketball.
“Todd was a great point guard, a great scoring point guard. And I always said, don’t be fooled by that little Shane upon him. That’s a beautiful face. He’s a good-looking kid, but he’s a tough guy. And his teams play hard. They play physically. So don’t let that sheepish look fool you. He’s the real deal.”
Bruce Pearl earns NABC Coach of the Year award ahead of Final Four
Bruce Pearl was named the NABC Division I Coach of the Year on Monday, as Auburn prepares for its Final Four matchup against Florida. Pearl is the first Tigers coach to ever receive this honor.
Pearl has guided Auburn to a program-best 32 wins this season and led the Tigers to their second-ever Final Four appearance, with the first in 2019 also under his leadership.
Auburn (32-5, 15-3) secured the SEC regular-season title and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.