Bruce Pearl has retired as Auburn basketball coach after 11 seasons and two Final Four appearances, including in 2025. The 65-year-old owns a 706-268 record over more than a 30 years of head coaching, starting with the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville.
Pearl, in a 14-minute video posted on social media, didn’t forget his humble beginnings: “Then of course, the University of Southern Indiana, where I was a head coach for the very first time (and) won a national championship in 1995.”
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Pearl was scheduled to coach at least one more game in Indiana against Purdue as part of the Indy Classic on Dec. 20 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Here’s a look back at his career.
Bruce Pearl coached Southern Indiana
Pearl got his head coaching start at the University of Southern Indiana, then in NCAA Division II, in 1992. The Screaming Eagles, who had won 10 games the previous season, went 22-7 in Pearl’s first season. USI went 231-46 during his 10-year tenure, winning the national title in 1995 and reaching the national championship game in ’94.
After coaching USI, Pearl went to Milwaukee (2001-05), Tennessee (2005-11) and Auburn (2014-25).
Rick Herdes, Assistant Coach, left, and Bruce Pearl, head coach of USI during the NCAA Division II Finals in Louisville, Ky., in March of 1995.
Bruce Pearl at Milwaukee
The Panthers went 86-38 over four seasons, going 26-6, winning the Horizon League tournament and reaching the NCAA tournament in 2005.
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Bruce Pearl fired at Tennessee
The Volunteers went 145-61 over six seasons at Tennessee, reaching the NCAA tournament each year. However, he was fired after the 2010-11 season as a result of committing recruiting violations and lying about them. He received a three-year show-cause penalty, essentially pushing him out of coaching for that period.
Bruce Pearl at Auburn
Auburn hired Pearl in 2014 and compiled a 246-125 record, reaching the Final Four in 2019 and ’25. His tenure also included a short suspension for not promoting an atmosphere of compliance.
Who is Steve Pearl? Who is the new Auburn coach?
Steven Pearl, Bruce’s son, was named the Tigers’ coach for the 2025-26 season. Steven Pearl played for his father at Tennessee and has been on the Auburn staff since 2014. His is 38 years old.
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Bruce Pearl age. How old is Bruce Pearl?
Bruce Pearl is 65 years old.
Bruce Pearl politics: Will Bruce Pearl run for Alabama Senate seat Tommy Tuberville is leaving?
Bruce Pearl announced in a video on Auburn basketball’s social media that he will not run for a Senate seat in Alabama. He will move into a new role as special assistant to the Auburn athletic department.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Bruce Pearl retiring: Southern Indiana national championship, age, politics
