Bruce Pearl Retires; Steven Pearl Named Auburn Coach

Bruce Pearl, 65, announced his unexpected retirement Monday—42 days before the 2025–26 season—after 11 seasons at Auburn and two Final Four appearances. He leaves as Auburn’s winningest coach with a 694–270 all-time head-coaching record and a résumé credited with transforming both Tennessee and Auburn into national contenders. Auburn has named his son, 38-year-old Steven Pearl, the program’s new head coach; Steven has been on Auburn’s staff since 2014, rose to associate head coach and led the team's transfer-portal recruiting. Bruce is credited with rebuilding Auburn’s game-day atmosphere, recruiting top players and producing multiple NBA draft picks including Jabari Smith Jr., Walker Kessler and Chuma Okeke. His legacy also includes FBI and NCAA investigations, a period of probation and a past show‑cause penalty for violations. Pearl rejected speculation about a U.S. Senate run and described the handoff as a “passing of the torch” to build on recent success.