March 31, 2018
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl was named the 2018 Red Auerbach National Coach of the Year Saturday by the Jewish Coaches Association (JCA).
Pearl is the first two-time recipient of the national award since its inception in 2009. He was also honored in 2010 while coaching at Tennessee.
"I'm proud to be a founding member of the Jewish Coaches Association almost 20 years ago," Pearl said. "To receive this award with Red Auerbach's name on it is beyond special and is a reflection of the efforts of our players, coaches and fans at Auburn."
Under Coach Pearl, the 2018 Tigers captured their third Southeastern Conference regular season crown in program history behind a 26-8 record, including 13-5 in SEC play. Auburn led the league wire-to-wire to capture its first title since 1999.
The Tigers also secured their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2003 and earned the top No. 4 seed.
Pearl guided Auburn to a conference-best 81.9 points per game, marking the 17th time that his team has led the league in scoring out of 23 seasons. The Tigers set program records in free throws (647) and 3-pointers made (324) during the 2018 campaign.
Auburn sold out seven of its home games this season with all of them coming in SEC play. It is the highest total in Auburn Arena history and the most since 2000-01 when Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum was sold out 16 times.
The Tigers set another Auburn Arena mark with a 15-1 record at home during the 2017-18 campaign.
Auburn was one of just two teams in the SEC to win 10 games away from home during the regular season, accompanied by Tennessee. The Tigers were also one of only three teams to boast a winning conference record on the road (Florida, Tennessee).
Under Pearl, Auburn touted 19 double-digit wins during the season, including 10 in SEC play - both second in program history. The Tigers also completed six comebacks of 10 or more points in 2017-18, including five in league action.
Pearl also helped tutor two players reach 1,000 career points during the season in Bryce Brown and Mustapha Heron.
The JCA named its college coach of the year award after Red Auerbach, the coaching legend who won 938 games (a record at his retirement) and nine National Basketball Association (NBA) championships as a coach. As general manager and team president of the Boston Celtics, he won an additional seven NBA titles, for a grand total of 16 in a span of 29 years, making him one of the most successful team officials ever in the history of professional sports.
The JCA is a non-profit organization whose primary purpose is to foster the growth and development of individuals of the Jewish faith at all levels of sports, both nationally and internationally. The JCA is committed to creating a constructive and tolerant environment where issues can be examined closely, debated sincerely and resolved honestly. The JCA's focus involves the concerns of its colleagues in professional sports, NCAA (Division I, II and III), NAIA (Division I and II), junior college and high school levels.