Longtime Auburn men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl announced that he is retiring, and will move into an ambassador’s role in the athletic department as special assistant to the athletics director. The school announced Monday that Pearl’s son Steven Pearl, who was serving as the Tigers’ associate head coach, signed a five-year contract as the program’s new head coach.
Pearl, 65, announced his decision on the heels of his best season at Auburn and roughly six weeks from the start of Auburn’s new basketball season on Nov. 3. He made his announcement in an emotion video released on social media by Auburn.
Pearl said: “For me, it’s time. I’ve been a part of college basketball for almost 50 years. And the truth is, it’s time. I told myself that when I got to the point where I could not give it my all, where I wasn’t necessarily 100% or I couldn’t be the relentless competitor that you expected of me, that it was going to be time. As hard as it is to say this, I reached the realization that it’s time for me to step aside.” He also alluded to Steven taking his place, saying:“The DNA of this program, it won’t be changing. I am incredibly confident in the future of this basketball program.”
Pearl went on to downplay speculation that he was considering a run for the U.S. Senate, declaring that he would instead remain around the Auburn program and that he looks “forward to the opportunity to continue serving the Auburn family. Many of you know that I thought and prayed about maybe running for the United States Senate, maybe to be the next great senator from the state of Alabama. That would have required leaving Auburn. And instead, the university has given me an opportunity to stay here and be Auburn’s senator.”
Pearl, 65, has been head coach at Auburn for 11 seasons, going 246-125 and leading the Tigers to six NCAA tournament appearances and both of the program’s Final Four runs. During Pearl’s time at Auburn, the Tigers earned at least a share of three SEC regular-season titles and won two SEC tournament championships. Steven, 38, has been an assistant under Pearl during his tenure at Auburn and played for his father as a reserve forward at Tennessee. He has no previous head coaching experience. Auburn did not disclose the terms of his deal.
Pearl previously served as the head coach at Milwaukee for four seasons, and Tennessee for six seasons. He retires with a 477-224 Division I record (.680) as an NCAA head coach. He was a three-time Horizon League Coach of the Year at Milwaukee and was named SEC Coach of the Year four times, twice each at Tennessee and Auburn.
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