Bruce Pearl, born on March 18, 1960, in Boston, Massachusetts, is a distinguished American college basketball coach currently serving as the head coach of the Auburn Tigers men’s basketball team. He holds the record for the most wins in Auburn’s history.
Coaching Career:
- Southern Indiana (1992–2001): Pearl led the University of Southern Indiana to a Division II national championship in 1995, earning the Division II Coach of the Year honor.
- Milwaukee (2001–2005): At the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, he achieved significant success, including leading the team to the Sweet Sixteen in the 2005 NCAA Tournament.
- Tennessee (2005–2011): Pearl’s tenure at the University of Tennessee was marked by multiple NCAA Tournament appearances and an SEC Tournament title in 2008. However, he was fired in March 2011 due to NCAA violations.
- Auburn (2014–Present): Since joining Auburn University, Pearl has revitalized the basketball program, leading the Tigers to four SEC championships and two Final Four appearances. In January 2025, he surpassed Joel Eaves to become Auburn’s all-time winningest coach.
Personal Life:
Pearl is Jewish and served as the first president of the Jewish Coaches Association. In 2019, he became the fifth Jewish head coach to lead a team to the Final Four.
Recent Highlights:
Under Pearl’s leadership, Auburn achieved a historic milestone by attaining the No. 1 ranking in the AP Poll for the first time in school history during the 2021–2022 season. The team secured the SEC regular-season championship that year, and players Jabari Smith Jr. and Walker Kessler were both selected in the first round of the NBA Draft, marking the first time Auburn had multiple first-round picks.
In January 2025, Auburn defeated Texas 87-82, marking Pearl’s 214th win and solidifying his status as the program’s all-time winningest coach.