Auburn’s men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl announced his retirement on Monday after 11 years as the Tigers’ head coach. Pearl will move into an ambassador’s role in the athletic department as special assistant to the athletic director.
The program announced that his son, Steven Pearl, will take the reins.
Bruce leaves as the all-time winningest coach in program history with 232 wins. He also guided the Tigers to two Final Four appearances, most recently in 2024, with five SEC championships and six NCAA Tournament appearances.
Bruce also led the program to its first-ever No. 1 ranking in both national polls in 2022 and a school-record eight consecutive weeks at No. 1 in the Associated Press poll last season. The Tigers received the No. 1 overall seed in last years NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history.
“I have been at this for almost 50 years and truthfully as hard as it is for me to say this, I have come to the realization that it’s time for me to step aside,” Pearl said in an official statement released by Auburn athletics. “Being the head coach at Auburn has been the privilege of my life.
“There are so many people to thank, but the success that we achieved would not have been possible first and foremost, without the players who worked incredibly hard to improve every day on the court, in the classroom and developing into men. I’ve had the best staff in the country and can’t thank then enough for their commitment. We’ve had tremendous support from our university administration, athletic administration and the Board of Trustees, whom I’m incredibly grateful for. I want to thank Jay Jacobs and Jay Gogue for hiring me as well as our current administration, Dr. Chris Roberts and John Cohen, for their commitment to excellence.
“Auburn Family, I love you and I hope you understand that for me, it is time. Brandy and I are looking forward to the opportunity to continue serving the Auburn Family – just, in a new capacity. War Eagle!”
Steven, who joined Auburn’s staff in 2014 and has served as associate head coach since 2023, signed a five-year contract to become the program’s 22nd head coach.
Steven was an instrumental part of the Tigers’ success over the last decade. As defensive coordinator, Auburn ranked second in 3-point field goal percentage (.299), third in field goal percentage (.396) and fourth in scoring defense (68.1 ppg).
He was also named one of the 50 most impactful high-major assistant coaches in NCAA Division I basketball by Silver Waves Media for the last two years.
An elite recruiter for the Tigers, Steven has helped orchestrate seven Top 25 high school recruiting classes and played a vital role in key signings of elite transfer portal talent.
“There is nobody more qualified or in a position to maintain our culture of faith, family and doing it the Auburn way than Steven,” Bruce said in a statement. “He’s actually tougher than I am, and just as competitive! Out of loyalty to Auburn and me, Steven passed on several previous chances to pursue head coaching opportunities, choosing instead to invest in our men’s basketball program and help it reach unprecedented heights.
“He has worked tirelessly and been instrumental in the success of our program over the last 11 years. We would not have been in the position to make two Final Fours, win five SEC Championships and win as many games as we have if it wasn’t for Steven and this staff. I am so pleased that the DNA of this program won’t be changing and could not be prouder for Steven, Brittany and Lainey.”
Auburn athletics will hold an introductory press conference for Steven on Wednesday at 9 a.m. CT.