Queens Coach Trolls Auburn's Bruce Pearl After Yelling at Refs

Ryan Leonard joked Pearl was upset at him, not the officials, after video emerged of the former Auburn coach yelling from the stands.

Mar. 13, 2026 at 2:59am

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Queens head coach Ryan Leonard took to social media to troll Bruce Pearl after video surfaced of the former Auburn coach yelling from the stands during Thursday's SEC Tournament game. Leonard joked that Pearl was actually upset at him for a previous comment about an Auburn assistant coach attending a Queens game to scout one of their players.

Why it matters

The back-and-forth between Queens and Auburn has been brewing since December when the two teams faced off. Leonard previously called out an unnamed SEC assistant for attending a Queens game, which was later revealed to be Auburn. This latest incident adds more fuel to the growing rivalry between the two programs.

The details

In the video, Pearl can be seen yelling from the stands, seemingly upset with the officiating. Leonard seized the opportunity to poke fun, joking that Pearl was actually mad at him for commenting on an Auburn assistant scouting a Queens player before the transfer portal opened.

  • On Thursday, video emerged of Bruce Pearl yelling from the stands during the SEC Tournament game.
  • In December, Queens and Auburn faced off, with the Tigers winning handily 106-65.
  • On Wednesday, Leonard tweeted about an SEC assistant attending a Queens game to scout one of their players.

The players

Ryan Leonard

The head coach of the Queens Royals basketball team.

Bruce Pearl

The head coach of the Auburn Tigers basketball team.

Elijah Freeman

An Auburn player who led the team with 27 points in their December win over Queens.

Kevin Overton

An Auburn player who scored 23 points in their December win over Queens.

Steven Pearl

An Auburn assistant coach who defended the program's decision to scout a Queens player.

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What they’re saying

“He was mad at me, I said something about assistants not being focused on the current game.”

— Ryan Leonard, Head Coach, Queens Royals (on3.com)

“It is a permissible activity.”

— Steven Pearl, Assistant Coach, Auburn Tigers (The Athletic)

What’s next

Queens will learn their NCAA Tournament fate on Selection Sunday after winning the ASUN conference tournament. Auburn is hoping to secure an at-large bid to the Big Dance after their loss in the SEC Tournament.

The takeaway

The growing rivalry between Queens and Auburn has taken another turn, with Queens coach Ryan Leonard trolling Bruce Pearl over the Auburn coach's outburst from the stands. This incident adds to the ongoing back-and-forth between the two programs, which began when Leonard called out an SEC assistant for scouting a Queens player before the transfer portal opened.