Auburn head basketball coach Bruce Pearl on Tuesday voiced his support for conservative author and activist Candace Owens.
Pearl, who is Jewish, shared a Dennis Prager column that called on Owens to speak out against her close friend rapper Kanye West's recent anti-Semitic remarks. Prager, who notes his Jewish heritage in the op-ed, also defends Owens against charges of anti-Semitism.
In a tweet, the Auburn coach called the article "an accurate account" and said he was "a Big Fan" of Owens.
This is really good reading and I believe an accurate account of the Kanye West Candice Owens Anti semitism story. My more liberal friends may not see it this way, but I believe it to be fair and true. I’m a Big Fan of @RealCandaceO https://t.co/owhDLAiIPi
— Bruce Pearl (@coachbrucepearl) November 1, 2022
Pearl's tweet has drawn the ire of a host of left-wing political and sports pundits over his Owens support, as well as some college basketball fans.
A sports radio host named Jason Page said he "lost all respect" for Pearl while sports journalist Jeff Pearlman called the coach "an embarrassment." Journalist Soledad O'Brien described Pearl "a disappointment."
College coaches benefit from a plantation mentality. Always have, always will. Too many of them have showed their asses over the years for this to be anything but the relative norm. https://t.co/01uu4oJQUm
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) November 2, 2022
What a disappointment https://t.co/e1T42QRso9
— Soledad O'Brien (@soledadobrien) November 2, 2022
Another Alabama Coach weighs in on politics https://t.co/00hXnbC3Dp
— Joyce Alene (@JoyceWhiteVance) November 2, 2022
Wow… lost all respect for @coachbrucepearl…
— Jason Page (@TheBackPage) November 2, 2022
Just wow… thanks for pointing it out @soledadobrien. https://t.co/VV3RWEjD0d
Seriously, @coachbrucepearl is an embarrassment who's loved at Auburn because he wins games and "keeps it real." Or something. Argh. https://t.co/pEK1Ph7ELO
— Jeff Pearlman (@jeffpearlman) November 2, 2022
This is downright embarrassing. https://t.co/K2UCqG1c7s
— Benjamin Bornstein (@THE_BOOMSTEIN) November 2, 2022
Ah so Bryan Harsin wasn’t the worst coach at Auburn https://t.co/DceeIc6gi7
— Joey Gulino (@JGulinoYahoo) November 2, 2022
Now this a plot twist I did not see coming. pic.twitter.com/pTu2D6Bmg0
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) November 2, 2022
Big Fan https://t.co/xBHGznSEhx pic.twitter.com/Zgi4Q5MNsi
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) November 2, 2022
Pearl was even accused of being racist and anti-Semitic himself, while other fans urged his players to leave Auburn and play elsewhere.
We're going to need y'all to start going after @AuburnTigers' Bruce Pearl, coach of @AuburnMBB for supporting racism and anti-semitism the way y'all went after Kyrie. Waiting...#BrucePearl https://t.co/85P1PwH9Us
— 🇭🇹 Dave from Brooklyn 🖖🏾🇭🇹 (@bklyn_hayshun) November 2, 2022
Pearl's Tigers open the season ranked 15th-best in the nation. They host George Mason at Neville Arena on Monday, November 7.
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