The Auburn Tigers will face off against the Michigan Wolverines in the Sweet 16 of this season’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament on Friday, but their head coach is dedicating some of his limited preparation time to discussing politics.
Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl made waves following his team’s second round win over the Creighton Bluejays on Saturday by opening his press conference advocating for the release of hostages being held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. He specifically advocated for the release of American hostage Edan Alexander.
On Monday morning, Pearl continued those efforts in an appearance on Fox News.
Auburn men’s basketball @coachbrucepearl: “President Trump is absolutely leading the way and he’s making this a very clear decision for Hamas — release the hostages, and there’s a chance for peace. Don’t, and there’s going to be death and destruction.” pic.twitter.com/7i1KVqEXbW
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 24, 2025
“We gotta call out the difference between this good and this evil,” Pearl began. “And you know what, Brian [Kilmeade], we’re close to getting the hostages home. President Trump is absolutely leading the way, and he’s making this a very clear decision for Hamas. Release the hostages, and there’s a chance for peace. Don’t, and there’s going to be death and destruction, and it’s gonna be just awful for everybody.”
Pearl’s comments on Monday are consistent with other public comments he’s made since the October 7 terrorist attacks in 2023. However, given his team is in the midst of an NCAA Tournament run, and his use of Saturday’s press conference to discuss the issue, Pearl’s comments are now garnering more attention.
Athletes and coaches have long used their platforms to advocate for a given cause or political belief, much to the chagrin of some in the “stick to sports” crowd.
And while most would agree that the conflict in Gaza is of significantly more import than Auburn’s March Madness run, Pearl’s decision to spend time discussing his political beliefs on cable news during the week of a big game will almost certainly face criticism if the Tigers sputter out of the tourney on Friday.
