Bruce Pearl has signed on for more time at Auburn, but that may not necessarily be a good thing for the future of the program.
Two things have followed Bruce Pearl around throughout his coaching career: success and controversy.
Those very things beg the question as to whether or not programs should entrust their long-term future with him.
The Auburn Tigers handed Pearl an extension that takes him through the 2022-23 season. One of the most successful coaches in recent program history is now in place for years to come.
Whether or not it was wise to hand him that deal could be revealed soon enough.
The benefits of having Pearl in place are obvious. Last season, the Tigers advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 15 years. They even won a game there before bowing out of the postseason.
Auburn also won the SEC for the first time in nearly two decades.
The old demons that haunted Pearl crept up at Auburn as well, though.
When the FBI scandal came crashing down before the season, Auburn was smack in the middle of the action. Assistant Chuck Person was among those arrested for bribery and corruption. The program was forced to hold out players involved in the investigation.
Pearl himself reportedly stonewalled an internal investigation into the matter.
While Person bears the brunt of the blame awaiting his trial, Pearl doesn’t deserve the benefit of the doubt. After all, the Tigers hired him while the coach was still serving out his show-clause penalty; numerous recruiting violations led to his ouster at Tennessee. The Volunteers have only recently shown signs of recovery from the scandal.
The noise surrounding the FBI probe quieted towards the end of the season. There very well may not be another shoe to drop for Pearl or others tied to the investigation.
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Bruce Pearl has a nose for danger, though. Auburn may reap immediate benefits from him on the court, but one slip-up off the court could damage the program indefinitely.