Discover the career path of Bruce Pearl, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Bruce Pearl is an American college basketball coach, currently head coach for the Auburn Tigers, where he holds the record for most wins in the school's history. Previously, he coached at Tennessee, Milwaukee, and Southern Indiana. Notably, he led Southern Indiana to a Division II national championship in 1995 and was recognized as the Division II Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
In 1982, Bruce Pearl began his tenure as an assistant coach at Stanford.
In 1986, Bruce Pearl became an assistant coach at Iowa under Coach Tom Davis.
In 1992, Bruce Pearl became the head coach at Southern Indiana, inheriting a team that had won only 10 games the previous season. He quickly turned the program around.
In 1995, Bruce Pearl led Southern Indiana to a Division II national championship and was named Division II Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.
In 1995, Bruce Pearl led the Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles to the NCAA Division II Championship, achieving a 29-game win season.
In 2003, Bruce Pearl led Milwaukee to their first NCAA tournament appearance.
In 2004, Bruce Pearl led Milwaukee to its first ever NIT bid, as well as its first-ever NCAA D–I postseason victory.
On March 28, 2005, Bruce Pearl was named the new head coach at Tennessee, succeeding Buzz Peterson.
In 2005, Bruce Pearl led Milwaukee to their best season in school history, winning both the regular season and conference tournament titles, including two upsets in the NCAA Tournament, ultimately falling to Illinois in the Sweet Sixteen. He subsequently left UWM as the Horizon League's all-time leader in winning percentage.
In 2006, Bruce Pearl was named Coach of the Year by Sporting News.
On March 5, 2008, Bruce Pearl's team defeated the Florida Gators to claim Tennessee's first outright SEC Regular Season Championship in 41 years.
On December 3, 2008, Bruce Pearl achieved his 400th career win by defeating UNC-Asheville, becoming the 6th-fastest coach to reach this milestone. Tyler Smith also recorded the school's first ever triple-double with 12 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds.
In 2008, Bruce Pearl was awarded the Adolph Rupp Cup.
On November 17, 2009, Bruce Pearl recorded his 100th victory at Tennessee as his team defeated UNC-Asheville 124–49, marking the most points ever scored by Tennessee in a regular season game. The team's 34 assists also set a school record.
In 2009, Bruce Pearl served as the head coach for the Maccabi USA men's basketball team, which won the gold medal at the Maccabiah Games.
On September 4, 2010, Pearl's off-campus recruiting was restricted completely, lasting until September 23, 2011, due to violations and lying to the NCAA.
Early in the 2010-11 season, the Tennessee Volunteers achieved a 7-0 record and a #7 AP ranking after defeating nationally ranked Villanova and Pittsburgh.
On March 21, 2011, Tennessee terminated Bruce Pearl's employment following the discovery of additional NCAA violations and a violation of the school's substance abuse policy by a player. This decision came three days after the team's significant loss to Michigan.
On August 30, 2011, Bruce Pearl accepted a position as Vice President of Marketing for Knoxville wholesaler H. T. Hackney.
On September 23, 2011, the restriction on Pearl's off-campus recruiting ended. This restriction was a consequence of violations and lying to the NCAA.
In 2011, the Tennessee Volunteers experienced a season impacted by an NCAA investigation, leading to a decline in performance and a significant 30-point loss to Michigan in the second round of the NCAA tournament. This defeat marked the end of Bruce Pearl's coaching tenure at Tennessee.
On August 23, 2012, the one-year show-cause orders given to Bruce Pearl's assistant coaches expired.
On March 18, 2014, Bruce Pearl was appointed as Auburn's head basketball coach, succeeding Tony Barbee. He signed a 6-year contract worth $2.2 million per year with a $100,000 annual escalator.
On August 23, 2014, the three-year show-cause penalty imposed on Bruce Pearl by the NCAA expired, lifting the restrictions on his recruiting activities.
On November 14, 2014, Bruce Pearl secured his first victory as the head coach of Auburn, defeating his former school, Milwaukee, with a score of 83-73.
In 2015, Bruce Pearl led Auburn to the SEC tournament semifinals as a 13 seed.
In 2016, Bruce Pearl helped Auburn end its 18-game losing streak against Kentucky.
On January 18, 2017, Bruce Pearl achieved his 500th career win as a head coach after Auburn defeated LSU with a score of 78-74.
In 2017, Bruce Pearl led Auburn's team to achieve its best record since 1999 while winning the SEC regular season championship.
In 2019, Bruce Pearl became the fifth Jewish head basketball coach to lead a team to the Final Four.
In 2019, Bruce Pearl's Auburn team won the SEC Tournament, defeating Tennessee in the championship game. They advanced to the Final Four in the NCAA tournament, defeating Kansas, North Carolina, and Kentucky en route. Auburn lost to Virginia in the Final Four.
The 2020 season was successful for Bruce Pearl and Auburn, finishing second in the SEC with a 25-6 record before the season's cancellation due to COVID-19.
2022 was a historic season for Bruce Pearl and Auburn, leading the Tigers to their first-ever #1 ranking in the AP Poll and winning the SEC regular-season championship. Jabari Smith Jr. was selected number three overall in the 2022 NBA draft, and Walker Kessler was also selected in the first round at pick twenty-two.
During the 2022 season, Bruce Pearl signed an eight-year, $50.2 million contract extension with Auburn.
In 2022, Bruce Pearl was noted as one of the few Division I basketball coaches who never played high school basketball, even at the junior varsity level, and was the only head coach in the 2022 NCAA tournament with that distinction.
Through December 14, 2024, Bruce Pearl's record at Auburn is 222–120 (.649).
On January 7, 2025, Bruce Pearl won his 214th game for Auburn, surpassing Joel Eaves for the most wins in program history.
In 2022, Pearl signed an eight-year contract extension that will keep him at Auburn until 2030.
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