Bruce Pearl is a big Donald Trump guy, and the way he’s handled the fallout from his initial Miami (Ohio) comments certainly makes them two peas in a pod.
The TNT Sports college basketball analyst, who retired as head coach of the Auburn Tigers this past offseason, made waves a few weeks back when he said that the Miami RedHawks, then 29-0, were “going to have to win their tournament to qualify as a champion,” insinuating they didn’t deserve an at-large spot. Pearl later doubled down on those comments, saying that the RedHawks were “not built for the grind of a Big Ten or even a Big East. In the Big East conference this year, they’d finish in the lower half. They may not finish last, but I’ll tell you what, I’m not so sure.”
Pearl also insinuated that Auburn, coached by his son, Steven Pearl, deserved an at-large bid over Miami despite barely being above .500, something he received significant pushback on. Pearl later made peace with Miami coach Travis Steele and completely flip-flopped his opinion, saying that two MAC schools deserved to be in the NCAA Tournament, not just Miami.
On Thursday, the RedHawks lost their first game of the season in the quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament. While the tide still seems to be on the side, their low strength of schedule means they’ll likely be sweating it out between now and Selection Sunday.
Pearl, perhaps sensing that people would think he was excited by the proposition, which could open the door for his nepo-hired son’s mediocre team, took to X to squelch that presumption.
In spite of the recent propaganda I’ve always been a mid major guy. I think a 1 loss Miami of Ohio team should get in! I don’t think they are one of the best 37 at large teams, but are 1 of the most deserving Good for the MAC, Cinderella and March madness @CBSSports @TNTSportsUS https://t.co/BDYmkbmGbj
— Bruce Pearl (@coachbrucepearl) March 12, 2026
“In spite of the recent propaganda, I’ve always been a mid-major guy,” wrote Pearl. “I think a 1-loss Miami of Ohio team should get in! I don’t think they are one of the best 37 at large teams, but are 1 of the most deserving. Good for the MAC, Cinderella and March Madness.”
Is it propaganda against you when it came out of your own mouth? We’re pretty sure that’s not how that works.
However, attempting to weasel out of a bad opinion by claiming it’s made up by others is exactly the kind of thing a certain president would try, so we can see why they like each other so much.
Also, immediately after that post, Pearl reshared a post from Dan Dakich that said Akron was actually better than Miami (Ohio).
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.