The event is presented by Michael Staenberg and Jewish Federation of St. Louis.
The 2026 edition of The Men’s Event at The Factory on Wednesday, June 3 will be a must-attend event for any member of the St. Louis Jewish community who loves food, drinks and especially sports. The featured speaker will be college basketball analyst Bruce Pearl. During his 30-year career as a coach, Pearl guided two teams (Tennessee in 2008 and Auburn in 2022 and 2025) to No. 1 national rankings. He joined Turner Sports and CBS Sports in 2025 as a college basketball game and studio analyst. Coach Pearl recently offered the Jewish Light a preview of the message and philosophy of faith he will speak on at The Men’s Event.
Can you share any highlights on what you plan to talk about at The Men’s Event?
I definitely will be talking about Israel and Judaism—faith and basketball. I do more teaching and preaching and speaking from the heart and encouraging everyone to live a Jewish life of meaning. That means being great examples for our kids about how we can take advantage of the blessings and how we’re supposed to serve in the community and treat people. These are these are things that I was taught and that helped me be successful in my coaching career. That will be my focus.
A great coach is a leader, motivator and mentor. What was your motivation strategy for the young people that you that played for you?
Mine was one of faith and family. We got up every single day and basically asked the question, ‘What would G-d have me do today? What would G-d have you do?’ That that was a huge part of what made us successful. You worry about what you can control. I’d also love to say that our teams try to play relentlessly.”
What was it like making the transition from coaching to the broadcast booth?
Turner sports and CBS made the transition seamless in the sense that they wanted to hear what I thought. They provided me a platform. I’ve always really respected our fans. I respect their knowledge and I respect their understanding of the game. I hope when people watch the pregame show or listen at halftime, they gained some knowledge and some understanding.
What are your thoughts on the significant amount of money involved in college players being paid?
It’s changed the game a lot and certainly changed recruiting and a lot of the decision making that goes into why a player is going to play. Why is he going to come play for you? Is he going to come play for you because he wants to develop, he wants to get his degree, he wants to become a man? Or is he playing for you simply because you’re going to pay him more than the other guy?
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Why do you think Jewish athletes who excel in their sports–like the Chicago Cubs Alex Bregman and hockey star Jack Hughes–bring out a sense of pride among the Jewish community?
I think it’s because the Jewish people have always had to fight for their survival and compete to stay alive, let alone win championships. The Jewish people have often punched above our weight. We embrace in something that we’re proud of. We admire and we honor winning and success, but we’re also built that way.
Tickets for The Men’s Event 2026 are available for purchase here.
