Former Auburn Tigers coach Bruce Pearl is joining TNT Sports as a college basketball analyst on its new studio team, along with host Adam Lefkoe and analysts Jalen Rose, Jamal Mashburn, and Chris Webber.
Front Office Sports sat down with the four-time SEC Coach of the Year to ask about his return to TV—and Michael Wilbon’s attack on him as an intentionally “divisive person” on ESPN airwaves.
TNT Sports runs in the Pearl family. His daughter Leah used to work in the old Turner Sports talent office. Here is an excerpt of our chat.
Front Office Sports: We know you were thinking about running for the Alabama Senate seat? So why sports TV?
Bruce Pearl: I’ve always loved to talk about the game. I’ve always loved to analyze the game. And I love to teach the game. When I announced I was no longer going to coach, my friends at Turner reached out—and we began having discussions about what’s next.
FOS: So why studio analyst over game analyst?
BP: In the studio, you actually can have more time breaking down plays and doing a lot of big picture. Then having interaction with Adam and the incredible team they assembled. Being at Auburn, Atlanta is not terribly far down the road. So when I was coaching Auburn, and before that Tennessee, I would go in and do some studio work. And I liked it. But then when I saw this team they put together of Jalen Rose and Jamal Mashburn and Chris Webber, I said, ‘Wow, this is going to be fun and this is going to be entertaining.’ … That’s how [TNT] does it. They did it with [Inside the NBA] unlike anything we’ve ever seen in sports and entertainment. So that’s a lot for us to shoot for. But certainly if anybody knows how to do it, Turner Sports does.
FOS: What did you learn about TV during your time at ESPN from 2012 to 2014?
BP: I really appreciated and enjoyed my time at ESPN. But when I got done with a game, or a show, I wasn’t ever sure what the outcome was. Did we have a good game? Did we have a good show? When I was coaching basketball, I knew what the outcome was. So that was something that was a little different. I want to have a conversation with Jamal and Adam and Jalen and let our viewing audience come in on our conversation about the quality of the game. I hope I get a chance to continue to teach.
That’s the one thing that I’m missing about coaching, even right now as we speak, is being at practice and teaching the little things, the nuances, what makes it work. Timing, spacing, the position of your feet and your shoulders and your eyes. I hope we get to do a little of that. I learned this from listening to Bobby Knight’s radio show when I was the head coach at Southern Indiana. Bobby Knight actually respected his fans and the listeners almost more than he did the media. He would teach—and he would talk real basketball on his radio show. I want to do that from a [TV] studio.
FOS: You’ve been outspoken about your Jewish faith and steadfast in your public support of Israel. Were you surprised by Wilbon saying he hoped there was “pressure” to drive you out at Auburn. Came out of nowhere. I was surprised. Even Tony Kornheiser seemed shocked.
BP: I was surprised, too. I always had a great relationship with Tony and Mike. I’ve heard from several people close to Mike that we’re going to have a conversation. One thing I do know is that this was not antisemitic. Perhaps it’s just that our politics are different.
FOS: Given Inside the NBA’s iconic status, do you feel pressure to help make the inaugural season of TNT’s Big East and Big 12 coverage a success?
BP: Very much so. Coming off another Final Four appearance, and some coaching accolades, my visibility was really at a high point. When Turner decided to make the jump back into college basketball, and get the Big 12 and Big East, they wanted to create a national show covering college basketball. Then they made the commitment to bring in this kind of talent. So it was really attractive.
FOS: Best of luck on TV this season.
BP: Thanks, Mike. I hope I’m good at it.
