Bruce Pearl’s retirement as head basketball coach at Auburn was met with shock by Tigers fans — and some relief from one long-time ESPN host.
Parton The Interruption’s Michael Wilbon blasted the conservative 65-year-old for what he perceived as Pearl’s divisive impact in recent years. Wilbon didn’t specify why he felt Pearl was so divisive, but the reigning AP co-Coach of the Year has voiced his support for both President Donald Trump and Israel’s military response to the October 7, 2023 attacks.
‘Tony, he had become a divisive person it seems to me, intentionally, and I hope there was just pressure to get him out,’ Wilbon said.
After initially questioning Wilbon, PTI co-host TonyKornheiser replied: ‘I always liked him. He was such a great guest. Yeah, we’re on the other side with him.’
Both Wilbon and Kornheiser faced online criticism after the exchange, including one scathing social media post from Barstool’s Dave Portnoy.
‘What an idiotic comment from Wilbon,’ said Portnoy, who, like Pearl, has supported Trump and Israel. ‘Kornheiser shouldn’t have rolled over. Apparently Wilbon only likes athletes/coaches who speak on social issues if they align with his views. Otherwise you are divisive. What a narrow minded small view #brucepearl.’
Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl celebrates a Final Four berth in his final season
ESPN’s Michael Wilbon took some criticism for blasting Pearl as ‘divisive’
And Portnoy wasn’t alone. Former ESPN college basketball analyst and current Wisconsin-Green Bay head coach Doug Gottlieb also took a shot at Wilbon.
‘Wilbon cmon man,’ Gottlieb wrote on X. ‘How was BP divisive?’
But not everyone was as diplomatic as Gottlieb. Another critic called Wilbon ‘disgusting,’ while one person even accused him of anti-Semitism.
‘I have to ask, does Wilbon feel that way just because Pearl is Jewish?’ asked a self-described ‘conservative’ on X.
Another respondent asked if Pearl would be running of senate, as many have suggested he might.
However, the outgoing Tigers coach put an end to that talk this week.
‘Many of you know that I thought and prayed about maybe running for United States Senate, maybe to be the next great senator from the state of Alabama,’ Pearl said after ending his coaching career.
‘That would have required leaving Auburn, and instead the university has given me the opportunity to stay here and be Auburn’s senator. I need to focus now on being a great husband, being a great father, being the best grandfather I possibly can be.’
Like Pearl, Dave Portnoy (pictured) is also a supported of President Donald Trump’s
Pearl reached a pair of Final Fours with the Tigers, including last year’s, where the Tigers fell to Florida.
He and and St. John’s Rick Pitino shared The Associated Press men’s college basketball coach of the year award.
Pearl had a 246-125 record at Auburn, but the school recognizes only 232 of those wins after vacating games from the 2016-17 season because of NCAA infractions involving former assistant coach Chuck Person. Pearl received a two-game suspension for failure to monitor his assistant and adequately promote compliance.
Tennessee had fired Pearl in 2011 after the NCAA charged him with unethical conduct and then additional violations surfaced. He was 145-71 and made the NCAA Tournament all six seasons with the Volunteers from 2005-11, getting to the Sweet 16 three times, and advancing to their first regional final in 2010.
Auburn hired Pearl in March 2014, when he was in the final months of his show-cause penalty, to take over a program that hadn’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2003. The Tigers went six times, all in the past seven seasons.
Before his two SEC stops, Pearl won an NCAA Division II national championship in 1995 with Southern Indiana while going 231-46 in his first head coaching job from 1992-01. He then was 86-38 in four seasons at Milwaukee, going to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2005 before getting hired by Tennessee.
Pearl previously suggested Trump should win the Nobel Peace prize for his response in Israel
Steven Pearl played 101 games for his father at Tennessee from 2007-11. He was a medical sales representative for three years before joining the Auburn staff in 2014, and was promoted to associate head coach before the 2023-24 season.
‘There is nobody more qualified or in a position to maintain our culture of faith, family and doing it the Auburn way than Steven,’ Bruce Pearl said. ‘He’s actually tougher than I am, and just as competitive. Out of loyalty to Auburn and me, Steven passed on several previous chances to pursue head coaching opportunities, choosing instead to invest in our men’s basketball program and help it reach unprecedented heights.’
When Bruce Pearl served his two-game suspension early in the 2021-22 season, Steven Pearl was the acting head coach in a pair of lopsided wins.
Auburn AD John Cohen said when he took the job three years ago, Bruce Pearl made it clear he was nearing the end of his career. Cohen said there was an internal national search to prepare for when that happened.
‘Throughout our detailed process, it became obvious to me and our staff that Steven Pearl was clearly the best fit for Auburn,’ Cohen said. ‘His expertise in coaching defense, his skills as an evaluator, recruiter, teacher and motivator, and his relationships with our student-athletes and staff were paramount.’
