Auburn and Florida's Jewish Coaches Make NCAA Final Four History
Bruce Pearl and Todd Golden, longtime friends and colleagues, lead their teams into a historic semifinal matchup highlighting Jewish representation and advocacy in sports.
- Auburn's Bruce Pearl and Florida's Todd Golden, both Jewish head coaches, will face off in the NCAA Final Four on Saturday in San Antonio.
- This marks the first time three Jewish head coaches, including Duke's Jon Scheyer, have led teams in the Final Four, a milestone for representation in college basketball.
- Pearl and Golden share a deep personal and professional bond, originating from their time together at the Maccabi Games and later as colleagues at Auburn.
- Bruce Pearl has used his platform to advocate for Jewish causes, including raising awareness about American hostages in Gaza and promoting interfaith understanding.
- Florida has reached its first Final Four since 2014 under Golden's leadership, while Auburn has solidified itself as a top program with its second appearance in six years.
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