Auburn Signs Men's Basketball Coach Bruce Pearl to Five-Year Extension

Pearl has amassed a 100–72 record over five seasons at Auburn.

Auburn has agreed to terms with men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl on a five-year extension, Director of Athletics Allen Greene announced on Friday. The deal will take Pearl's contract through the 2023-24 season.

Pearl led the Tigers to an SEC championship and the program's first-ever Final Four appearance in this year's NCAA tournament, where they fell to Virginia 63–62 after a controversial ending. Auburn also won the SEC regular-season title in 2017-18.

"Under Bruce's leadership, our basketball program has reached new heights," Greene said in a statement. "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. 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."

Pearl became the first coach at Auburn to secure 100 wins in his first five seasons at the helm. The Tigers have won 74 games over the last three seasons, the most over a three-year span in program history.

"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!"

Pearl began his Division I head coaching career at Milwaukee in 2001. He spent four years with the Panthers before taking over at Tennessee in 2005, where he spent six seasons. An NCAA investigation into a recruiting violation by Pearl led to him spending three seasons away from the sidelines before he returned to coaching at Auburn in 2014.