Fresh off an appearance in the men’s college basketball Final Four, Auburn University head coach Bruce Pearl has been selected as chair of the U.S. Israel Education Association.
A staunch pro-Israel advocate who has brought attention to the plight of the hostages held in Gaza, Pearl was named a 2025 Associated Press coach of the year. He led the Tigers to a 36-6 record, the Southeastern Conference regular-season title and a No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
“I am deeply honored to be named chairman of the U.S. Israel Education Association,” stated Pearl, a USIEA board member since 2021.
Pearl was one of three Jewish head coaches in this year’s Final Four, including Israeli-American Todd Golden, whose Florida Gators claimed the national title.
He has used post-game press conferences and other public platforms to plead for the release of the hostages and hosted the family of Israeli-American Edan Alexander, a hostage and New Jersey native, during Auburn’s second-round NCAA tournament game last month.
Pearl has also actively spoken out against the surge of Jew-hatred after the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and Israel’s resultant military action.
Pearl said he became connected to Israel following a 2019 tour at USIEA’s invitation, which included high-level briefings on a range of topics.
“My experience in Israel was transformative,” he stated. “I felt it was my responsibility to become more involved in the mission of USIEA and educating senior government leaders in America on the importance of supporting Israel.”
USIEA is a nonprofit dedicated to educating and serving government leaders directly involved in advancing critical dialogue between the United States and Israel. It is the first and only organization to take U.S. congressional delegations on tours of Judea and Samaria.
The organization specializes in issues such as missile defense collaboration and economic integration.
USIEA’s leader said Pearl’s involvement has helped broaden the organization’s reach.
“We’ve experienced significant growth and interest in our organization, benefiting from the respect and recognition he commands in both the sports world and the broader community,” said Heather Johnston, USIEA founder and CEO. “But most of all, we’ve been inspired by his generosity, passion for Israel and unwavering commitment to our mission.”
Pearl took his 2022-23 Auburn team on a preseason playing tour in Israel, becoming the first NCAA Division I basketball team to play a professional Israeli team.
“I’ve dedicated much of my life to teaching young people about the importance of leadership, values and understanding different perspectives,” Pearl said. “My work with USIEA aligns with those principles, and I’m excited to continue building a bridge of understanding between these two great nations.”