In a 14-minute video addressed to Auburn fans, Bruce Pearl announced that he has retired as the school's men's basketball coach. Pearl's son, Steven, is set to take over the program for the 2025 season.
Dear Auburn Family, I truly love you.@CoachBrucePearl x #WarEagle pic.twitter.com/xFJAEetMLv
— Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) September 22, 2025
The 65-year-old Pearl is coming off a season in which he led Auburn to its second Final Four appearance. The Tigers earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament after winning the SEC regular-season title, but lost to SEC rival Florida — the eventual national champion — in the national semifinals.
Pearl has been the head coach at Auburn for 11 seasons, leading the Tigers to six NCAA Tournament appearances and both of the program's Final Four runs. During Pearl's tenure, Auburn won at least a share of three SEC regular-season championships and won two SEC Tournament titles.
Prior to coaching at Auburn, Pearl had been a head coach at Tennessee, Milwaukee and Southern Indiana. He went to the NCAA Tournament in all six of his seasons with the Volunteers, including three Sweet 16 appearances and one Elite Eight run, which came in 2010 after Tennessee defeated Ohio State, 76-73, in St. Louis.
Tennessee fired Pearl in 2011 after the NCAA charged him with unethical conduct after he lied during an investigation into recruiting violations. The NCAA levied a three-year show-cause penalty against Pearl. Auburn hired him in 2014, five months before his show-cause ended.
