Mar 28, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl celebrates after defeating the Michigan Wolverines in a South Regional semifinal of the 2025 NCAA tournament at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Pearl Finally Gets Rematch Against Top Head Coach

Originally posted on Auburn Tigers on SI
By Austin Walls | Last updated Mar 29, 2025 9:35 PM ET

When Auburn Tigers’ head coach Bruce Pearl started his career, he never thought he’d have to wait more than a decade to get a second chance at a team that has been sticking in the back of his mind. That team was Tom Izzo’s Michigan State.

In 2010, Pearl then coached the Tennessee Volunteers and got them to the Elite Eight, the exact same position that his Tigers are at now. Pearl said he let his team down at that moment for a coaching decision because the defense wasn’t set.

On Sunday, Pearl will finally get that rematch he has been waiting for.

"Tom Izzo is 10-0 in the NCAA Tournament against the SEC. I bet you didn’t know that,” Pearl said. “There’s a reason why I look at Michigan State and don’t forget. I was an assistant at Iowa so I’m familiar with Tom– They’ve always been as athletic as anybody in the backcourt. Like my athletes, they guard. They can score in multiple ways. Then his front lines are always big and strong.”

Now that the Tigers are playing more like the Tigers from the middle of the regular season, they are one of the teams that few want to see in the Elite Eight. Auburn has a similar streak in the NCAA Tournament.

“We’ve won the last six or seven in a row against the Big Ten. The reason is, I think our athleticism in the SEC has been a factor against the teams that we’ve played against in the Big Ten,” Pearl said.

Auburn's most-recent win over a Big 10 school came on Friday with a win over Michigan in the Sweet 16, marking its third win over a Big 10 school this season.

When asked about what traits the Elite Eight teams all have, Pearl mentioned that the Spartans and Tigers are both very deep.

“When it comes down to the last few minutes, they [Spartans] are so well-conditioned. They aren’t going to beat themselves," he said.

The matchup between Pearl’s Tigers and Izzo’s Spartans takes place Sunday at 4:05 CDT. Should they win, the Tigers will get a rematch against the Florida Gators in the Final Four.