When the Auburn Tigers visit McKale Center later this year to take on Tommy Lloyd’s Arizona program, they’ll be without firebrand coach Bruce Pearl.
Pearl announced Monday he is retiring as head coach of
the Auburn men’s basketball program after 11 seasons leading the Tigers. Pearl, 65, has been a head coach since 1992. His son, Steve Pearl, will take over the program.
Bruce Pearl led Auburn to a pair of Final Four appearances including in 2024-25. Bruce Pearl was 1-0 all-time vs. Arizona while coaching Auburn, with the win coming at the 2018 Maui Invitational.
Arizona will host Auburn Dec. 6 as part of a home-and-home series with the Tigers. A return game at Auburn will take place on a date still to be determined.
Bruce Pearl’s abrupt retirement means Auburn players will have a 30-day window to enter the transfer portal, though it’s unlikely the program will experience much personnel movement this close to the start of the season. College basketball teams officially began practices Monday.
Unless Auburn loses multiple key players to the portal, the Tigers should still have a top 25 team. Auburn currently ranks No. 16 in Jon Rothstein’s preseason top 45 while Arizona is 13.
