Bruce Pearl teaching retirement: What’s subsequent for Auburn basketball

Bruce Pearl joins a rising record of high-profile males’s school basketball head coaches to retire in recent times, saying his resolution to depart Auburn Monday — 42 days earlier than the 2025-26 season is ready to tip off.

“I’ve been a part of college basketball for almost 50 years, and the truth is, it’s time,” Pearl said tearfully in a video saying his retirement. “I told myself when I got to the point where I could not give it my all, or I wasn’t necessarily 100%, or I couldn’t be the relentless competitor that [Auburn fans] expected of me, that it was going to be time.”

Pearl retires with a 694-270 all-time report as a head coach at Southern Indiana (1992-2001), Milwaukee (2001-05), Tennessee (2005-11) and Auburn (2014-25). His 232-125 report at Auburn makes him the winningest head coach in program historical past. He additionally took the Tigers to 2 Final Fours in his 11 seasons, together with as a No. 1 seed in 2025.

Steven Pearl — his son, and an affiliate head coach who has been with Auburn since Bruce Pearl took over the helm in 2014 — will take the reins because the Tigers look to make one other NCAA match run.

What can we count on of him? How will his father’s legacy be remembered? ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Joe Lunardi reply the most important questions.

How will Bruce Pearl’s legacy be outlined?

Borzello: There have been actually low factors — specifically the three-year show-cause for mendacity to the NCAA relating to recruiting violations — however I consider Pearl’s legacy can be as a motivator and program-builder.

There are the viral clips of Pearl going shirtless within the scholar part at soccer video games, rallying up help on the sideline. His vitality was wanted at a spot like Auburn, which had gone 11 years with out an NCAA match look earlier than he took over. And he took the Tigers from the underside tier of the SEC to a constant contender on the high of what’s arguably the very best convention the game has ever seen with three SEC titles.

It was an analogous story at Tennessee, which had gone 4 years and not using a match look when the Vols employed Pearl — after which went to 6 straight tourneys, together with three second-weekend NCAA match appearances.

From a character and suppleness standpoint, Pearl was made for this period of school basketball.

How does his retirement affect expectations for Auburn in 2025-26?

Borzello: After a coach leaves a program, gamers have a 30-day window to switch, so the primary query we’d like a solution to is whether or not any Tigers will enter the portal. When Virginia’s Tony Bennett stepped down final October, Jalen Warley transferred and ended up redshirting at Gonzaga.

The timing of Bruce Pearl’s resolution makes transferring probably difficult for various causes. Most packages haven’t got the cash so as to add a notable participant to this 12 months’s roster, and most gamers will not need to redshirt your entire season. Could a participant battle for eligibility and play throughout the spring? Perhaps, however that is a danger.

As it stands, Auburn has a top-15 roster. Tahaad Pettiford is a respectable All-American candidate after establishing himself as one of many elite and most entertaining playmakers within the nation in a sixth man function final season. Pearl additionally added a handful of affect transfers, led by Keyshawn Hall from UCF and KeShawn Murphy from Mississippi State. The roster is sweet sufficient to remain close to the highest of the SEC and win a number of video games within the NCAA match, however the lack of Pearl does change the equation.

How does his retirement affect the Tigers’ NCAA match outlook?

Lunardi: Bruce might not have left his son Steven with a Final Four workforce, however we nonetheless undertaking the Tigers no worse than a No. 4 seed as official practices start.

The bigger query is whether or not the SEC can repeat its historic energy and depth from final season, when the convention secured a report 14 NCAA match bids, and Auburn joined eventual nationwide champion Florida as a No. 1 seed. Let’s rely on some regression at each this system and convention ranges in 2025-26, and forecast a slight decline from the on-paper projections, however the Tigers nonetheless have second-weekend upside.

What will the primary order of enterprise be for Steven Pearl?

Borzello: Keep the roster intact — particularly, preserve Pettiford in an Auburn uniform.

I’ve little question there are colleges already calling Pettiford and his agent to see if there’s an opportunity he would switch and play this season. But Steven Pearl has to maintain Pettiford on the workforce after which ensure that the remainder of the incoming transfers transfer ahead as properly.

Steven Pearl can be underneath an excessive amount of strain changing the Tigers’ winningest coach, getting into his father’s footwear and taking on a Final Four program — all as a first-time head coach. Doing it with out the caliber of the present roster would make issues infinitely harder.

How ought to Year 1 of Steven Pearl be evaluated?

Borzello: I do not know if there are grace durations within the SEC. Steven Pearl can be anticipated to construct on his father’s legacy and preserve Auburn within the dialog close to the highest of the convention. Even with Bruce Pearl, this workforce wasn’t going to be the favourite within the league or the favourite to go to back-to-back Final Fours. But if Steven Pearl can preserve issues ticking ahead, keep within the top-20 nationally and win a pair video games within the NCAA match, the fanbase must be thrilled.

Avoiding a sudden, steep dropoff after all the pieces his father has achieved with the basketball program would be the measuring stick, in my view.