Fans, media react to stunning Bruce Pearl retirement report
By Jacob Moss
Published:
The 2025-26 NCAA men’s basketball season isn’t set to tip off for over a month, but one of the top programs in the country just got some shocking news as longtime Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl is reportedly expected to retire before the beginning of the season.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Jeff Borzello broke the massive news on Monday afternoon, and also reported that Pearl’s son Steven is expected to assume his father’s role for the upcoming campaign.
This is obviously a massive blow for the Tigers, as Pearl has been the architect of their ascension into the upper echelons of college hoops since he took the job back in 2014. When Pearl arrived at Auburn, they were considered an afterthought in college basketball landscape, but his relentless recruiting and elite coaching ability elevated Auburn into on the nation’s truly elite programs.
He piloted the the Tigers to 3 regular season SEC titles, 2 SEC tournament titles, 6 NCAA tournament appearances, and 2 Final Fours, the most recent of which came this past spring.
Simply put, Pearl made Auburn basketball into what it is today, and that means that his sudden retirement stings that much more, especially in the wake of his recent success on the hardwood.
Fans and media members alike are all naturally shocked by the news, and they took to social media to share their reactions and express their gratitude for all Pearl meant to the program and university:
