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Auburn men's basketball head coach Bruce Pearl has abruptly stepped down, according to a report.
The 65-year-old, who has been a college basketball head coach dating back to 1992, has reportedly decided to retire from the sport after spending the offseason deliberating his future, according to CBS Sports.
His son, Steven, 38, is said to have been elevated to the Tigers' new head coach in place of his father.
Pearl Snr. has been at the helm in Auburn since 2014, leading the Tigers on their greatest run in school history.
He leaves the school on a high note, having guided the team to a Fina Fourth berth with a No. 1 seed earlier this year.
The decision comes after Pearl Snr. was linked to a potential run for senator in Alabama. However, he remained coy on the subject earlier this year.
Auburn men's basketball head coach Bruce Pearl has abruptly stepped down
The 65-year-old has been an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump
Pearl has been an outspoken advocate of Donald Trump, causing a stir when he publicly backed the president's decision to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities amid ongoing tensions between that country and Israel.
The Massachusetts native even went so far as to nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize because of that military action in Iran.
It was reported earlier this year that Pearl was considering a potential run for the empty Senate seat in Alabama.
However, he played down the speculation earlier this month when asked about the opportunity by reporters.
'I have not answered the question because I've never announced I was running for senate, have I?' Pearl said at the Mike Slive Foundation's Blue Shoe Ball, via AL.com. 'So, how do you answer the question whether you are or whether you aren't because I never said I was.'
He later added: 'It's something I thought a great deal about, but obviously I'm here today and I'm in practice and I've got practice tomorrow.'
The US Senate seat in question is currently occupied by another former Auburn coach, Tommy Tuberville, who led the Tigers' football team to an 85-40 record in his decade at the school.
A staunch Trump supporter who quit coaching after a 4-8 season with Cincinnati in 2016, Tuberville announced his intention in May to run for Governor of Alabama.
A staunch Trump supporter who quit coaching after a 4-8 season with Cincinnati in 2016, Tommy Tuberville announced his intention in May to run for Governor of Alabama
He does face a number of obstacles, including claims he actually lives in Florida as opposed to Alabama as well as questions about the Tommy Tuberville Foundation, which shuttered in 2021.
A Tuberville spokesman told the Washington Post in 2023 that the foundation paused activities during a government audit, but that the former Tigers coach planned on reforming the organization.
For his part, Tuberville claims he splits his time between Alabama and Washington.
