AUBURN | Could it be a start of a beautiful friendship?
Bruce Pearl was there for Hugh Freeze’s introductory press conference Tuesday. He spoke to him again Wednesday night.
The head coaches of Auburn’s two most high-profile sports are quickly building a strong relationship.
“I just think that Hugh is going to be a great fit for Auburn,” said Pearl. “He understands the SEC. He's won, beaten times that were more talented than he's been. He's going to hire a great staff. He's got an incredible family. He's a wonderful Christian man.
“He's asked for grace. He's going to be given grace here in this Christian community of Auburn. I'm thrilled that this leadership team is in place and I look forward to working with him.”
And it was Freeze who spoke of Pearl at his press conference announcing him as the Tigers’ 31st head football coach.
“Coach Pearl, the job that he's done here? I'm gonna be just like Bruce Pearl if I can, except for I'm not taking my shirt off because I don't look as good as he does,” said Freeze. “But this guy is teaching a masterclass into how to get people to buy into a culture and I look forward to spending time with him.
“He's been an incredible encourager to me through this whole process.”
Over the last six months, Pearl has witnessed a complete change in the leadership at Auburn. Dr. Chris Roberts was hired as President in May and John Cohen as athletic director Oct. 31.
It was Cohen that spearheaded the four-week search that culminated with the hire of Freeze Nov. 28.
“I think that we've just had like three incredible hires within the last six months,” said Pearl. “I think President Roberts -- the fact that he's been here for so long in so many different capacities and did what he did with the college of engineering, we are in great hands there. He hired a great AD in John Cohen, who gets the Auburn culture, who has reinvented the term, 'that's Auburn being Auburn.’
“We're starting to talk about 'that's Auburn being Auburn' in terms of the of Texas A&M football game, or what Cadillac Williams did turning our team around. That's Auburn being Auburn.”
