Bruce Pearl is one of the most fascinating figures in US college basketball. The 62-year-old coach has been in the coaching business for some 40 years, first as an assistant coach for ten years, and then as the head coach of four different teams.
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Pearl is probably the highest-ranking Jewish coaching figure these days, with dozens of NBC players cutting their teeth under his wings before embarking on their professional careers. In August, Pearl will visit Israel with Auburn University, where he has been head coach since 2014. According to the Auburn Tigers' website, he has led the team to 138 wins, two Southeastern Conference championships, consecutive NCAA Tournament berths, and the program's first-ever appearance in the Final Four.
The visit is organized in collaboration with the Israeli Basketball Association. On a recent private visit to Israel, Pearl granted Israel Hayom an exclusive interview. "My grandfather and grandmother arrived from Europe, they were Orthodox Jews who kept kosher; my grandfather was a plumber," he said early in the morning at the David Citadel hotel's dining area in Jerusalem just before he was set to go on a tour of the old city.
"When I was seven I saw my grandfather was watching television, which was something he had never done before. I asked him why he was crying, so he had me sit on his lap and told me about the state of Israel. He said he doesn't want to go to sleep because he is concerned that he could wake up with Israel gone. This is my first memory of Israel."
Pearl is staunchly pro-Israeli and never misses an opportunity to show solidarity with the Jewish state. He formed the Jewish Coaches Association, whose membership comprises over 100 coaches. He is also a member of the Jewish-American organization that seeks to inform members of congress on Israeli issues.
"I grew up as a conservative Jew and went to a Jewish school," he said. "I studied the Bible, I gave to charity and we believed in planting trees in Israel and supported this cause. We bought things from Israel because it was important for us, my family grew up in Boston in a Zionist environment that was proud of its ties to Israel, and this is where I got my love for the state."
"This is the right time"
Pearl's journey to Israel will be carried out under the auspices of an organization that seeks to bring African Americans and Jewish closer, which he is part of. Pearl hopes to start a tradition in which one of the major college basketball teams arrives every year in Israel to hold a game against their Israeli counterparts. Liron Fanan, who is the director of player developments at the Cleveland Cavaliers and the scout for the team, made this connection between Auburn College, Pearl, and the Israeli Basketball Association.
"I was here in 2009 and coached the US team at the 2009 Maccabiah Games. This was my first time in Israel and it was a unique experience. I took 12 young Jews and showed them their Jewish home. This gave me an opportunity to turn them into better Jewish fathers and better allies for Israel. In recent years I have been telling myself that if I could give Jewish-American players an experience like those that they can get in the [10-day tour] of Birthright-Israel, then why not do so in college basketball," he said, explaining the rationale for the project."
"Ninety-five percent of the players I coach are African American, and the way I see it, there is a bond between the African American community and the Jewish community. We were both slaves and suffered from antisemitism or racism. I don't think my players learned about this, and by bringing them to Israel I get the opportunity to show the players what we all have in common. This is what Bob Kraft did in the NFL and this is what NBA players like Ray Allen experienced and what Omri Casspi pursued over the years. Under the rules of the league, every college can go play abroad once every four years. This had me go to Japan, China, Italy, and other places around the world. So why not Israel? People here love basketball and understand and support it, and Israelis are good at playing. It's been a while since a major college has visited."
"This is not just a one-off deal. I am sowing the seeds that I think will grow into something special. We want to see a major college team visit Israel every year, not just Jews. We have many Christian coaches who engage in Bible study with their players. Why shouldn't they play in the land where Jesus was born? Abraham is our ancestor, Jesus represents the start of Christianity; everything happened here in Israel."
Auburn University's planned visit has attracted a lot of attention, and ESPN will report on it regularly and even broadcast the games. "This is the right moment. The NFL and NCAA return only in September, and the NHL and NBA are also on break now, so why not visit Israel and see one of our major teams play the great courts in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem against the Israeli national team, which is considered by many around the world as very successful?"
The news that Auburn was going to hold games in Israel, riled up antisemitic and pro-Palestinian groups. Pearl believes this actually gives him a good opportunity to bolster Israel's image.
Do you believe this visit can change how Israel is perceived in the US for the better?
"Undoubtedly. The US has always been Israel's biggest ally. I say this as an American Jew who believes in supporting Israel. Israel is now the US's greatest ally in the Middle East. I am thrilled over the prospect of peace and normalization introduced with the Abraham Accords. The matches could have the ability to expand toward Morocco or the UAE. Maybe we can hold a joint tournament with the NCAA and Middle Eastern teams."
Pearl is one of the most-talked-about coaches in college basketball in recent decades. Under his wings, a whole crop of stars emerged and went on to play in the best league the world has known. This includes Jabari Smith Jr. the 19-year-old forward who is 6 ft 10., whose scoring skills are very much like Kevin Durant and Michael Porter Jr. Over the past year, he averaged 17.1 points and 7.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. During the draft in June, he was selected No. 3 overall by the Houston Rockets.
"I had the best player on the court in Jabari Smith, for his size, he's the best jump shooter I've seen in college in 10 years. He is everything one needs to become an all-star in the league," Pearl said.
The fact that someone with Smith's size manages to score so many three-pointers has a lot to do with the philosophy the Jewish coach subscribes to. Pearl's approach to the game, which he has implemented for many years, centers on quick maneuvers and many throws from outside the three-point line. "Three-pointers have been my thing for the past 20 years, and now that the NBA is following suit is their problem," he smiles. "For years, we have swamped the court with 3-pointers and playing this way, and now the NBA game has changed and different expectations are set for tall players."
Q: In the past, players would stay in college basketball before moving on to the NBA, but in recent years most of the stars make that leap after one year. Does that make it hard for you to do your job as a coach?
"You are correct. In recent years, I had four players who played one year and then went to the draft. This puts a lot of pressure on us, but in college basketball, your task is to help someone adjust from high school to their career path in a smooth way. Usually, it takes four years to get a college degree and then move on and start a family, but in basketball sometimes all you need is one or two seasons to prepare them for life, and the NBA always wants to tap their potential as soon as possible. So this process is challenging but I am glad it works for the kids by giving them a chance."
This past January Pearl signed on for another eight years at Auburn University and according to various reports, he could get over $50 million for the entire period. Or as the official statement said, he became coach "for life." In fact, he is believed to be the highest-paid coach in US college basketball. Pearl reportedly chose to stay with Auburn despite being offered lucrative sums by other colleges.
Have you ever considered using your expertise in the NBA?
"In 2011, Donnie Nelson, president of basketball operations roles for the Dallas Mavericks at the time, offered me to be the head coach of their affiliate. This was after I had left Tennessee and I almost took it. But I felt that despite being a good coach, I would prefer to be a good father and teacher. I believe that God put me where I am so that I can make an impact as best as I can. I look at the role of head coach as that of a teacher, perhaps even like that of a basketball rabbi. Our successes are due to our culture and chemistry within the team. It is because we connect the players to the path and to our discipline. This is the formula. That is why I decided that college basketball is the best place for me and for what I try to accomplish through basketball."
Q: You are very energetic and emotional during games.
"I am the same person during training and during the games. I act the same whether I am playing a team from Division I or from Division II, or in practice. I am intense and my players get to see the same person all the time; this has an effect on them. As a general rule, you must listen to what a person has to say and not how they say it."
"I made a mistake – and paid a price"
Pearl, despite his stellar career, suffered a setback a decade ago when it emerged that he had violated the rules by unofficially meeting prospects. He was fined heavily and was suspended for several years.
"I wanted them to join Tennessee and invited them for a barbecue in my home with another hundred people, but they were too young. I know I erred and I shouldn't have done it. It was a mistake and I paid for it, but God has a plan, and that is how I ended up where I am. Auburn is a very special place and I am grateful for every moment I am there."
Could you one day work in Israel or perhaps coach one of the younger teams here?
"It will be difficult for me to speak with the Israeli players and share my thoughts with them. If I arrive it will be after my retirement, to live here," he says with a smile.
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