Bruce Pearl Interview (5-6-20)

If you're only use dry when Josh on sports will drive to be joined by Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl in just a few moments as somebody you covered Olivier*the last few years.

I'm just so amazed by how quickly he developed with the Demon deacons. What just truly floored at somebody at the start of the year showed a lot of flashes of being good. Showed a lot of flashes of being all ACC talent but would have a six turnover game mixed and there would have a game where he doesn't score any points and you just be frustrated by him, but he developed into 1/3 team all ACC player Steve Forbes was with us yesterday. He recruited them very hard to come back to the digs, but chose to be a Kentucky Wildcats today instead. But this is going to be a real treat on us across the Piedmont Triad on with us here in North Carolina to talk about his former assistant Steve Forbes is Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl and Coach.

I'm sure you'll be pleased to learn that it's taken no less than five days in Winston-Salem for coach Forbes to take a job at Kentucky that takes off blue Big Blue nation did he get that from you. I not followed very closely after our listening to what you're starting and so you reacted to it.

So one of one of the players are leaving for Kentucky yeah yeah that that's just what happened but Big Blue nation you know how they can be at times you dealing with them to Tennessee and now it's all burned but I just want to know this coach Forbes. He said to us that he's from the Billy Glaspie coaching tree of defense Greg Marshall tree of operations and the Bruce Pearl tree of personality and energy what you tell me about energy and personality. He possesses. It got drunker and made a great hire and the great thing about the lots of different qualities. For me, my mentor, Dr. Tom Davis and the reason why was successful was because what he taught me and I do think that Steve had an incredible background working with people that have got you got some strength and some abilities and and proven track record also established himself. Not only is when he got a head coach at every level one every place he's replacing winners just know how to win so you going to wear to the sleeve to bring it every day I get accountable harder and tougher and younger not to be pampered in her beloved be held accountable and you know I guess I'm going to react once again to you guys first jobs I guess. Maybe. Maybe some of those kids are vulnerable because you're with us in this little short of the transfer situation much about making the right decision making the decision that we make work and I can tell you that I've had way more I thought about transferring that stuck it out and will that have I had guys transfer and more often than not, they didn't they didn't help himself like disappointed to see that what you what you remember your first impression of tax forms being cut Steve on a couple occasions.

First time when I forgot Jonathan to see and and I couldn't get them from using fixated with Billy and then finally I was a look at Vincent and the band back together myself and Jason Sherry were were together at Iowa. Jason was was what the Jason was, and I will voice Steve's all the good identify was I would lose and recruit Steven and and and and didn't get another current. He's just big thing is I'm personality great sense of humor love a family you know you're getting a phenomenal family and in Stephen's wife and the kids and all that Wake Forest you know it and got lucky and John Curry worked together before and they got history and they can tap into, you know, obviously Interest that is make you laugh and go make you cry, make you roll your eyes but but listen, he is going to win. I don't how quickly they can do it PACs for real, real, and he got a rebuilt but he will get done.

It's a funny thing coach. I read a story. Dave Clawson is the football coach here at Wake Forest. He was an assistant for the football team back when you first took the job, Tennessee, and you had coach Forbes is an assistant and John Curry was the associate A.D. at that time.

So when you see the job opens up and then you see that coach Forbes is John Curry's candidate was his higher how surprised were you that those two got back together was surprised because we let John in the sense that he was a senior young but incredibly talented, hard-working, great character, really good feel under John Curry was going to be a star but I don't think that any coaching staff had ever quite led him into the process like we really let John Hannon and Ed did what we did together with the Tennessee was special and had been on a long long time and John was part of the solution. But we did that in the family and so we saw Stevie saw Jason saw me he thought only scholarly work to subtly retreat kids. We some difficult times and tough decisions and I think in many ways, John grew, but he got to see Steve up close and personal, and I think that's why he felt so comfortable desire to play a role vouching for coach Forbes when he was getting out a Jew go going to Wichita State or in any others to head coaching interviews.

Look, I've always been a fan of always good admirer of always respected Steve you know the stuff we did a cursory 99%. It was incredible, and every now that people talk about the mistake that the end you know that that's that's very soon.

I am really proud of our program.

My staff are student athletes six years fixated tournaments and most of the kids graduating in and really really rebuilt that thing from and I'm proud of it and the guys that work with me should should be proud of it and so you know, I don't think I probably had much to do with his first job. Once he got down to Florida you think he looks deep himself and he was never afraid to step back to move forward and I think that speaks to his ego got confidence in the swagger but also his humble and appreciative and you go to work every day rewarding that even the people Wake Forest for giving him the doctrine of a lifetime of promise spirals with this your own sports triad. And speaking of his days in Florida and also what he did. Wichita State Greg Marshall was with us last week and he said that he just remembered him in Florida riding around a moped every single day while he was recruiting but got mad that suggestion. He said it wasn't a moped. It was a scooter that apparently you got for him and his staff back in 2008 or 2009 purchase of Tejano stories that we learn.

But what's the best recruiting story you could share with us involving coach for our story so the great Pat Summit. We were national championships at Tennessee and assistant coaches would get the use of Mercedes-Benz tougher year.

That was the reward really comfortably with so we one SEC championship and I went to a great friend of mine with a car dealer in Knoxville and you dug like his father and his son Adam and I said you know. Look dog. I can't get this program to the national championship level. I can't give you guys a Mercedes. What you say, can we get a Toyota. Can we get somebody that you know what, I can't quite go there but I want to go ahead and sponsor these scooters and so if I buy one by one. I'll give you two so I thought about about a dozen element gain my strength coaches and coaches in our trainer and little did I know those guys love got that they love that scooter you got scooter about as much of the women's staff use of Mercedes-Benz. Talk about gender equity. That's probably a title IX violation. The women got Mercedes-Benz of men's Bethel guys got scooter. I say this Steve is a relentless recruiter about relationships. He knows where everybody is buried in it and guess what, you don't care about only starter for don't you guys worry about a three-star turnup regional five minute that's tremendous stuff before let you go coach. I'm somebody who used to cover women's basketball for a very long time and Pat Summit is to somebody at her fantastic stories about give me a sense for how much of an influence. He was being side-by-side your basketball program and hers.

At the same time, Tennessee on the type of coach you are today will pop out number one thing I would say is some know you don't your players don't care what you don't. You know what you care Outlook the girls second thing is, she created a brand recall the Lady Vols with a train where they played with the that withheld the cells accountable and probably the third thing would be simply this, she could get out the girls like nobody's business and and they never looked at her sideways because she would be okay, look, you signed up for this, you sent is what you want to do just that you want because you will report and and and so she did and and and you know for that I will always always remember fondly for that is such a treat to have you on this show and hear your voice. I told my girlfriend.

I was so excited that we're having coach pearl on the shelf and she said the guy from the bachelor. I love being no guy, the bachelor you guys are as you guys are in great shape.call me back again look thought, that sounds great, thank you for doing this pearl head coach of the Auburn Tigers spending some time here on sports of trying to talk about his former assistant coach Forbes.

One day when I hit it big Robert, I'm goodbye, you be.sillier, I'm goodbye Aaron Ginny.

Goodbye you guys scooters how that's out. I'm so excited beyond thrilled as Mike's not on but he still for all your Mike's on what I'm here for right scooter before Hell yeah not like the razor scooters was a break your shins like the ones that like you really like no, it is a hard blow down in Miami if you count those we on the strip drop on Rundle scooters chicks to help on the back of the note right there so be that's already here in studio, but coming up, he's gonna take me to grammar school. What's our earliest grammar school session yet on a Wednesday drive