Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes talked on the phone with Auburn’s Bruce Pearl last week and came away from the conversation with a belief that Pearl was in his finals days as the Tigers’ head coach. That thought proved accurate Monday when Pearl announced his retirement after 11 seasons at Auburn.
“Bruce and I spoke last week, he sort of led me into his intentions and what he was thinking about doing,” Barnes said Tuesday. “And I’m happy for him. I really am because I think that what he said and what he meant through his statement and talking to him— he felt it was time and I certainly respect that. You look at him everywhere he’s been, he’s built a winning program, has done a great job.”
Pearl led Auburn to its greatest run in the program’s history. In 11 seasons as head coach, Pearl and the Tigers combined to win four SEC Regular-Season and Tournament Championships with two trips to the Final Four. Ironically, Pearl made it out of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament just twice at Auburn. But the Tigers made the Final Four each time.
A former Tennessee head coach who revitalized the program before NCAA violations tanked his tenure in Knoxville, Pearl finished with a 9-8 record against Tennessee in his 11 years as the Auburn head coach.
Auburn named Bruce’s son Steven its full-time head coach on a five-year contract. Steven had been on Auburn’s staff the last 11 years spending the last two years as interim head coach.
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Steven Pearl began as an assistant strength and conditioning coach at Auburn and then as the program’s Director of Basketball Operations. Pearl became a full-time assistant coach in 2017 before being promoted to associate head coach in 2023.
Steven became Auburn’s defensive coordinator when he became associate head coach and the Tigers ranked in the top 10 of KenPom adjusted defensive efficiency each of the last two years.
Tennessee basketball faces Auburn just once this coming season, hosting them at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center on Saturday, Jan. 21.
