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Jon Scheyer, Pat Kelsey and Mark Pope among top 20 Coach of the Year candidates

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, center, posed for a photo onstage after giving Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope and Louisville basketball coach Pat Kelsey the title of Kentucky Colonel at the 2024 Leadership Louisville Luncheon at the Kentucky International Convention Center in downtown Louisville on Wednesday, August 28, 2024.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, center, posed for a photo onstage after giving Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope and Louisville basketball coach Pat Kelsey the title of Kentucky Colonel at the 2024 Leadership Louisville Luncheon at the Kentucky International Convention Center in downtown Louisville on Wednesday, August 28, 2024. | Jeff Faughender/Courier Journal & USA Today Network / USA TODAY NETWORK
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1. Bruce Pearl (Auburn)

Pearl’s head coaching career has been an eventful journey, including a D2 title at Southern Indiana, a Sweet Sixteen with Milwaukee, and a bevy of success early with Tennessee. He’s won honors in several different leagues and took this Auburn team to the Final Four in 2019. Now in his 11th year with the Tigers, Pearl is doing the best coaching job of his career and has the nation’s best team at his disposal.

We should have known that something special was brewing when this team won at Houston during the season’s first weekend, but they followed that up with a great showing in Maui. Auburn’s only blemish is a road loss at Duke while Johni Broome looks like the nation’s best player. With great wins over Iowa State, North Carolina, and Purdue in their pocket, Pearl’s recent work has been even more stellar, taking the Tigers to multiple wins with Broome sidelined with injury.

This roster is about more than just Broome, with freshman Tahaad Pettiford in particular playing inspired ball, but Pearl has done some of his best work both on and off the court. Remember, this team had that fight aboard an airplane two months ago and have had all sorts of travel across the country. They won in Maui, in Houston, and have three road wins in the SEC already. Pearl’s team is the team to beat in college basketball and it’s impossible to deny the amazing work he’s done in helming this ship.