Auburn Athletics has agreed to terms with men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl for a new five-year contract, Director of Athletics Allen Greene announced Friday. The deal will take his contract through the 2023-24 season.
“Under Bruce’s leadership, our basketball program has reached new heights. Our young men continue to thrive in the classroom and on the court. We’ve experienced many firsts, including a well-documented run to the Final Four and a pair of SEC titles,” Greene said. “Bruce and his wife Brandy have been very active within the university and the Auburn community and we are appreciative of all of their efforts. Our return on investment is undeniable, and supporting this program from A-to-Z will continue to be a priority. Simply stated, we look forward to having Bruce as the head coach of our basketball program for many years to come.”
In five years at Auburn, Pearl has led the program to its first-ever NCAA Final Four in 2018-19, a Southeastern Conference regular season title in 2017-18 and a SEC tournament title this year. Auburn has won 74 games over the last three seasons, the most over a 3-year span in program history, and Pearl is the first coach at Auburn to amass 100 wins in his first five seasons at the helm.
“I would like to thank President Leath, Allen Greene and the Board of Trustees for their belief. The investment in me and my staff demonstrates their support of the men’s basketball program moving forward. I’m happy and blessed to be at Auburn and live in this wonderful community,” Pearl said.
Auburn has produced 18 graduates over the last four seasons, which is the most in SEC during that span. The Tigers received an Academic Progress Rate Public Recognition Award marking the first time Auburn has been honored since the award began tracking data in 2004. The NCAA annually honors teams earning multiyear Academic Progress Rates in the top 10 percent of all squads in each sport.
“I’m grateful to my coaching and support staff for building a competitive men’s basketball program,” Pearl said. “I’m grateful to our players for buying in, working extremely hard and representing what being an Auburn man and student-athlete is all about. We have the best fan base in America. The Auburn Family is for real and, along with The Jungle, create a unique gameday atmosphere. It’s great to be an Auburn Tiger. War Eagle!”
Auburn has sold out of season tickets all five seasons with Pearl at the helm, something that had only been done once in program history prior to Pearl’s appointment.
