Bruce Pearl made the surprising decision to retire as the head coach of the Auburn basketball program on Monday, leading to plenty of speculation about what is next for the 65-year-old.
Pearl is very active on X and often speaks out about political issues. He has also been mentioned as a potential candidate for a U.S. Senate seat in Alabama.
The Auburn basketball X account posted a video of Bruce Pearl sharing what he plans to do now that he is moving on from the basketball program on Monday.
Pearl revealed that he is not planning to get into politics.
“Auburn is our home. Brandy and I are staying right here,” Bruce Pearl said. “Many of you know that I thought and prayed about maybe running for United States Senate, maybe to be the next great senator from the state of Alabama.
“But that would’ve required leaving Auburn, and instead, the university has given me an opportunity to stay here and be Auburn’s senator.”
Instead of pursuing a political career, Pearl will serve as an ambassador for Auburn athletics.
He is also looking forward to spending more time with his family.
“I need to focus now on being a great husband, being a great father, being the best grandfather I possibly can be,” he said. “At the same time, as an ambassador at Auburn, I’m going to do everything I can to keep helping Auburn be the very best version of what it possibly can be.”
Bruce Pearl had been the head coach at Auburn since 2014, taking the Tigers to the Final 4 twice, including this past season. He was also the head coach at Tennessee from 2005-11.
His son, Steven Pearl, is taking over as the Auburn head coach and has signed a five-year deal with the school.
“Being the head coach of Auburn basketball is the privilege of my life. … I’m truly grateful,” Bruce Pearl said.
“I’ve been a part of college basketball for almost 50 years, and the truth is, it’s time. … As hard as it is to say this, I reached the realization that it’s time for me to step aside.”
Between his stops at Auburn and with the Volunteers, Pearl has won the SEC regular season four times, the SEC Tournament twice and has been named the SEC Coach of the Year four times.
“Auburn family, thank you for letting me be me,” he continued. “Thank you for letting me be a proud, American, Jewish patriot, that loved this country with all of his heart, a country that saved his family. And also loving my ancestral Jewish homeland.”
As for Steven Pearl, the 38-year-old has been on Auburn’s staff since 2017. He has served as the associate head coach for the Tigers since 2023.