Paul Finebaum called Bruce Pearl a “seminal” figure Monday upon hearing the news that the Auburn basketball coach was retiring.
“A truly seminal figure in both Auburn and SEC history,” Finebaum, the SEC Network analyst, told AL.com. “He will leave an indelible legacy. One of the most and influential figures in Auburn history and its greatest basketball coach.”
Pearl stepped down as head coach and will move into an ambassador’s role in the athletic department as special assistant to the athletics director.
He is the winningest coach in Auburn men’s basketball history with 232 victories, guiding Auburn to Final Fours in 2019 and 2025, five SEC championships and six NCAA Tournament appearances.
“Eleven years ago, I was given the opportunity of a lifetime to become the head basketball coach at Auburn, and it has been nothing short of amazing,” Pearl said. “With the Auburn Family’s unwavering support, we have built a program from the ground up and taken it to heights it had never reached before. Not only have we won championships, but we have built the best home-court advantage in college basketball, we’ve invested in this community and changed lives, and we’ve developed and graduated Auburn men. We built a program with the core tenants of faith, family and passion, and together, we made history. I hope we have made Auburn proud.”
The announcement drew an immediate reaction on social media.
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