"He's going to retire at Auburn": CBB analyst reveals why Auburn HC Bruce Pearl won’t retire anytime soon

Auburn Tigers coach Bruce Pearl has no plans to leave the sidelines anytime soon, according to college basketball analyst Matt McCall. Recently, McCall emphasized Pearl’s dedication to Auburn, implying that the 65-year-old coach intends to finish his career there.

On Thursday’s episode of The Field of 68, Matt McCall shared his thoughts on Bruce Pearl and the Tigers ahead of the 2025-26 season. McCall also mentioned that he expects Bruce’s son Steven to take over when he eventually leaves the program.

“Well, let's start here,” McCall said. “They got their coach [Bruce Pearl] back. He's not going anywhere. He's going to retire in Auburn and maybe Steven Pearl ultimately ends up taking over.”

Pearl’s son has been by his side since his days at Tennessee. Since arriving at Auburn on Mar. 18, 2014, Pearl has led Auburn to over 25 wins per season for the past three years. McCall highlighted Pearl’s 72% career winning percentage. He also noted key roster developments for the upcoming season. Tahaad Pettiford’s decision to withdraw from the NBA Draft and return to Auburn was a significant boost.

“I think he [Pettiford] needs another year with Coach Bruce Pearl—developing him,” McCall said. “Teaching him how to be a true point guard, teaching him how to run their offense.”

Auburn is set to be without star forward Johni Broome, who McCall believed was not fully healthy during last season’s Final Four run.

“I didn’t think he moved great,” McCall added.

Pearl won his first game as coach on Nov. 14, 2014, against his former school, Milwaukee, 83–73. In 2015, he led the Tigers to the SEC Tournament semifinals as a 13-seed. On Jan. 18, 2017, Pearl earned his 500th career victory with a win over LSU.

McCall believed that as long as Pearl was calling plays, Auburn would stay a contender regardless of the roster makeup.

Auburn’s Bruce Pearl honored with 2025 Sinai award

Auburn's Bruce Pearl was named one of 12 recipients of the 2025 Sinai Awards, presented by Tablet magazine to individuals who have advanced or defended freedom worldwide. The award was given to Pearl on June 23 in New York City at Casa Cipriani by former NBA star Amar’e Stoudemire.

Pearl, entering his 12th season with the Tigers, was recognized for his public advocacy supporting Edan Alexander, a 21-year-old from New Jersey who was held captive in Gaza for 584 days before being released on May 12.

“I had no idea the impact that calling out Edan Alexander’s name would have,” Pearl said. “We spent time together and it was a blessing to connect with them during such a meaningful moment.”

He recalled being contacted by Alexander’s father and brother, and later inviting them to join the Auburn team at the Sweet 16 in Atlanta. In his acceptance speech, Pearl drew a parallel between Auburn’s tournament success and a Jewish wedding tradition.

“We’re going to the Sweet 16 and I’m thanking God,” Pearl said. “It reminded me of breaking glass at a wedding, celebrating joy while remembering how fragile life is. I shared that with my players. I didn’t want to take away from the moment but I wanted them to understand the importance of acknowledging others, even in victory.”

Pearl observed that his players were quick to agree when asked to publicly acknowledge Alexander. The other 2025 Sinai Award winners included Yisrael Aumann, Azealia Banks, Justin Bateman, He Jiankui, Debra Messing, Alice Wairimu Nderitu, Cynthia Ozick, Joel Salatin, Matt Taibbi, Mario Vargas Llosa, and David Zweig.

Reflecting on the recognition, Pearl credited Auburn University and its fans for providing him with the platform to make an impact.