While most of the college sports world is focused on SEC football this week as the league holds its annual media days in Atlanta, there’s at least one basketball story that has emerged.
Auburn athletic director John Cohen spoke with reporters on Tuesday morning in Atlanta about the rumored U.S. Senate run for head men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl. The seat, set to be vacated by Tommy Tuberville as he runs for Governor, is reportedly of some interest to Pearl.
Cohen told AL.com’s Michael Casagrande that he expects Pearl to be Auburn’s head coach in 2025-26, but did leave the door open for something to change.
“I absolutely expect him to be the head coach at Auburn,” Cohen told AL.com. “But I, I also expect all the policies of NIL Go and, and you know, our new governing body to be upheld. But things can change. We’ve seen that.”
Pearl has become more politically-active this offseason and his social media feeds often contain commentary on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“Maybe more than any coach I’ve ever been associated with, Coach Pearl, he’s a patriot and he loves his country and he loves his faith and he loves Israel,” Cohen told AL.com. “And I think at some level he’s always searching in his mind for a way for ‘How do I make a difference in this world.’”
Pearl earned nearly $6 million in compensation from Auburn for the 2024-25 season, making him one of the 10 highest-paid coaches in college basketball. Pearl’s deal with the Tigers runs through the end of the 2030 season.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
