Auburn's Bruce Pearl Believes Chris Beard Has 'Raised the Bar' With Ole Miss Rebels

Auburn coach Bruce Pearl was highly complementary of the job Chris Beard has done in Oxford on Saturday.

Feb 1, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl reacts during the second half against the Mississippi Rebels at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The No. 23 Ole Miss Rebels dropped a hard-fought game to the No. 1 Auburn Tigers on Saturday in Oxford, but the visiting head coach thinks very highly of the job that Chris Beard is doing with the Rebels on the hardwood.

After Auburn's 92-82 win this weekend, head coach Bruce Pearl was made available to the media where he was asked if he saw any similarities between what Rebels head coach Chris Beard is building in Oxford and what Pearl has built in Auburn. Pearl's first word was "absolutely."

He went on to tell a story of how he interacted with Ole Miss fans the night prior who had a good deal of energy surrounding the upcoming matchup at the Pavilion, and he thinks that what Beard is working towards is good not only for the Rebels, but the SEC as a whole.

You can view a video of the quote below from Auburn247, one that was asked by Caleb Salers of SuperTalk Mississippi.

Video credit: @Auburn247

— Caleb Salers (@CalebSalersST) February 1, 2025

"It's really healthy, but that's the SEC. It's different, and you better believe Chris Beard has raised the bar," Pearl said. "Look at his staff. He's got one of the best staffs in college basketball, period. Those guys that are with him are unbelievable, and the guys they're recruiting, those are the guys I'm recruiting and then some.

"There are a bunch of guys on that team that we tried to get. Chris Beard has elevated everything, and he's got high expectations. I know he's disappointed because he expected to win this game. I guarantee you he did, and that means he is going to be in the upper division of this league every year."

That's a big compliment from an SEC head coach who has built one of the top programs in the country during his time on The Plains. Saturday's game is evidence that Ole Miss isn't quite to that level just yet, but Chris Beard has his own track record of success, and the upward trajectory of his team in the first two years of his tenure is undeniable.

The grind of SEC play continues for the Rebels on Tuesday when they play host to the nationally-ranked Kentucky Wildcats in Oxford. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. CT on ESPN.

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