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Mar 30, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Auburn Tigers forward Johni Broome (4), left, guard Tahaad Pettiford (0) and head coach Bruce Pearl celebrate with teammates after winning the South Regional final of the 2025 NCAA tournament against the Michigan State Spartans at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

'The Incredible Bulk': Bruce Pearl Shares Wife’s Opinion On His Shirtless Celebrations With Auburn Football Team

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Dan Agulto | Last updated Apr 2, 2025 11:25 AM ET

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl, should he and his team win this year’s championship, may not get to take his shirt off in celebration. His wife, as it turned out, likened him to a comic book superhero who he shares the same first name, but with one little difference.

When asked by CBS Sports about the possibility of a shirtless celebration with Auburn should they win the championship this year, Bruce Pearl revealed that his wife just had enough of him going shirtless.

“My wife has said, enough already with this taking your shirt off. America has seen quite enough of that bad body. That’s actually the incredible bulk, not the incredible hulk,” Pearl said.

“My wife has said, enough already with this taking your shirt off, America has seen quite enough of that bad body, that’s actually the incredible bulk not the incredible hulk.”

– Bruce Pearl pic.twitter.com/qFLYqoOPwJ

— CBS Sports College Basketball (@CBSSportsCBB) April 1, 2025

Bruce Pearl and the Auburn Tigers will compete in the Final Four stage of the NCAA Tournament and will fight for the championship against Florida, Duke, and Houston.

Bruce Pearl Gets Honest on 2025 Final Four Lineup

The 2025 Final Four lineup of the NCAA Tournament is exciting for a lot of fans and analysts, as everyone is a No. 1 seed team. This is only the second time this has happened in the history of the NCAA, with the first being in 2008. Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl opened up about the challenges this formidable lineup brings.

“This is different than 2019,” Pearl said at “The Field of 68” podcast, talking about Auburn’s recent Final Four appearance. “In 2019, that team finished fourth in the league. We’re a five seed, and the road to the Final Four was Kansas, North Carolina, the one seed, and then Kentucky, to see the Kentucky team that had three pros and so but then we got to the Final Four.”

Pearl also recognized the challenge of facing teams of all No.1 seed.

“The difference would be okay,” he said. “We were better than all three of those teams, not by a lot and no criticism at this thing. We had, we had better players. We had great plans. Okay, now I look at Houston, Florida and Duke. You could not ask for three more formidable opponents than those three.”

Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl talks with Auburn Tigers forward Chad Baker-Mazara (10) after the game as Auburn Tigers take on Vermont Catamounts at Neville Arena in Auburn, Ala., on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. Auburn Tigers defeated Vermont Catamounts 94-43.

Bruce Pearl has been the head coach of the Auburn Tigers men’s basketball team since 2014, giving him an impressive 11-year tenure with the program. During his time at Auburn, he has led the team to two SEC championships (2019 and 2024) and guided them to the Final Four twice, in 2019 and 2025.

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl reacts to his team’s comeback against Tennessee during the second half of their quarterfinal game of the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, March 15, 2025.

This article first appeared on Hardwood Heroics and was syndicated with permission.

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