Auburn makes a bold move with Pearl

Pearl brings a lot to the table...

  

Grant after the Auburn game this season

  I'm a firm believer in looking reality square in the eye.  I admit to seeing Alabama with a little bit of a Crimson tint in the short run. Long term though you have to be honest about what goes on around the conference and how it effects your team.  So how does Bruce Pearl effect Alabama? Short term it should scare the Tide that Pearl is back in the SEC. The fact that Auburn hired Pearl is a little like a burr under your saddle. I am stunned that Pearl took the job. Auburn has historically been the graveyard of coaches. Cliff Ellis and Sonny Smith had a some success, but after those two guys the wins have been pretty scarce. 

   Say what you want to about Auburn and Jay Jacobs. He's made two home run hires by all appearances. Auburn football has the problem of going head to head with Alabama. Their basketball program has the same problem plus lack of history and tradition. The most successful coach in Auburn history is still Joel Eaves.  Just for the record Coach Eaves last coached the Tigers in 1963. Remember the Auburn Shuffle? Eaves designed that offense and a lot of other schools adopted it. Eaves also coached defensive ends at Auburn in his day job. How little regard did the Tigers have for basketball. Shug Jordan coached the team to 95 wins and his only financing came from proceeds from a few coke machines. He didn't even get a stipend for basketball coaching. Joel Eaves finally negotiated for extra money when he became head coach. Just for those of us who are a little math impaired it means that the most successful Auburn basketball coach was last on the Plains 51 years ago. Bruce Pear is getting 14.7 million for six years or a little over 2 million. That little over is more than any of us earn in all likelihood. Just for a  reality check the Tigers are paying Pearl $6712.86 daily.

      Auburn just paid someone almost 15 million to coach basketball? Are you kidding me? That is one heck of a commitment and anyone who thinks this guy is the next failure at Auburn needs to think twice. Auburn is deadly serious about being the best basketball program in the SEC and certainly the best in our state. They have just thumbed their nose at Alabama.  A few blogs ago I said that the AD at Alabama needed to have a serious conversation about exactly how important basketball is to our University. I'd bet my last dollar they've been having that conversation for the past 24 hours.  If the answer is really Anthony Grant,  the UofA needs to open up their wallets and hire the best assistant coaches that money can buy. They then need to make sure that Grant has ever tool he needs to recruit. I don't care if the flight plans are headed from sea to shining sea, or across the seas, Grant is going to have to get some players. And he needs to get them immediately. We are now in a full blown arms race with the Tigers.     

Pearl is outgoing and his enthusiasm is infectious. He is a man of the people and fans love him. He is going to pack the AU arena in short time. His animation and motivational techniques are second to none. He puts himself out there, warts and all. His energy is palpable.  What about Anthony Grant?  I once said Grant was the role model for zombies on AMC's The Walking Dead.  He is subdued to point of wondering if he has a pulse. Does he work the fan base? Does he implore the fans to get involved? What is his relationship with life long fans? A lack of enthusiasm is just as contagious.  I wonder how he is on recruiting trips? Do you think kids are breaking down the doors to come to Tuscaloosa?  None of this is to say that Anthony Grant isn't a fine human being. Maybe the kindest thing you could say about Grant is that he nice but stoic.  Bruce Pearl is the energizer bunny. Anthony Grant looks as if he got a letter from the IRS and it isn't a refund. If next year starts off poorly we can rename Coleman Coliseum Grants Tomb.

      Bill Battle better have a backup plan if Grant has another bad season. It doesn't need to be a home run. It needs to be a grand slammer. it needs to be Mal Moore hiring Nick Saban. I'm telling you that this is a serious situation. So how does Pearl effect Alabama basketball?  Long term we'll either be much better or we'll be the an afterthought. Better competition can make you stronger. It can also kill you. Regardless,  basketball just got a lot more important to everyone. 

      I was a strong Grant supporter. My belief was that he would take Alabama back to the Wimp days. I was wrong. If Mal Moore was here my bet is that Grant might well be gone. Battle had to make one of the easiest calls an AD could make. I respect his position but this one we will have to disagree.