Bruce Pearl is technically retired, but that might come as a surprise to referees officiating the ongoing SEC Tournament in Nashville this week.
‘That’s some bulls***,’ the 65-year-old ex-Auburn coach exclaimed at officials during the Tigers’ 72-62 second-round loss to another of his former schools, Tennessee.
Bruce’s viral tirade wasn’t a complete surprise, given his son, Steven, replaced him as Auburn’s head coach this season. In fact, Bruce recently admitted to engaging in nepotism to help Steven get his first head-coaching job with the Tigers after their Final Four run in 2025.
So, when Bruce was seen erupting at the refs from the front row in Nashville, fans were quick to ask the obvious question.
‘[To be honest,] at this point why is he even retired?’ an SEC blogger wrote on X.
‘Why did he retire?’ another asked. ‘He needs to be out there coaching.’
Bruce Pearl shares a few choice words with officials as his son’s Auburn Tigers fell to the Vols
Steven Pearl reacts during the Auburn Tigers’ loss to the Tennessee Volunteers this week
Former Auburn coach Bruce Pearl is seen during a calmer moment on Thursday in Nashville
The Birmingham News’ Kevin Scarbinksy wrote that the scene was not ‘a good look for Auburn, CBS or the Pearl family.’
Bruce took to social media himself after the game, apparently still upset over an uncalled goaltending.
‘There’s Rim Protection and there’s what’s been allowed to happen in the last 10 minutes,’ Pearl, who now works as a CBS Sports analyst, wrote on X.
The Tigers held a 10-point second-half lead until the Volunteers reeled off a 20-0 run. As a result, Auburn finishes its first season under Steven at 17-16 and is now considered a long-shot for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
After the loss, video of Steven’s awkward locker-room pep talk went viral.
‘Just listen to this and you’ll understand why Auburn is so bad now,’ one critic wrote in response to the video.
Steven has campaigned for the Tigers’ inclusion in the Big Dance, but that argument may be falling on deaf ears – particularly after recent controversial statements by his father.
Steven Pearl of the Auburn Tigers reacts to a play during the second half of Thursday’s loss
Speaking to OutKick, Bruce was asked about the Tigers’ March Madness credentials.
‘Right now, Auburn is on the bubble,’ Pearl told the outlet last week. ‘They are either going to play their way in or play their way out… Looks to me like they got to win one more to get in.
‘That’s objectively how I feel,’ the coach-turned-college basketball commentator continued. ‘Am I rooting for my son to make the NCAA Tournament? Of course I am. Did I help my son get the job? Nepotism? Of course I did.’
Steven’s experience in college basketball is limited to playing for his father at Tennessee and serving under him as an assistant coach at Auburn.
Bruce has been at the center of a number of recent controversies, from his comments about other schools’ NCAA Tournament chances to his emphatic support of the joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
‘Combine a terrorist ideology with an Islamic extremist religious fanaticism and you have a dangerous enemy,’ Pearl wrote on X. ‘We need to help our allies in the Gulf defend themselves and they need to do more to remove [Iran’s] leadership and free the Iranian people.’
Bruce’s commentary on geopolitical issues has drawn mixed responses from followers, some of whom encourage his advocacy for Israel.
‘Seeing through the insanity, to make sense of the world,’ one supporter wrote on X. ‘Thank you, Coach!’
Bruce Pearl is seen here yelling at officials during a Tigers game on February 21
Others criticized Pearl’s support for Israel and even urged him to send his 38-year-old son Steven to fight in the Middle East.
‘Get Steven over there now!’ one critic demanded.
Another critic described Bruce’s ‘heal (sic) turn’ as ‘incredible.’
‘Literally took Auburn to the Final Four last year,’ college football blogger Adam Spencer wrote on X. ‘Best coach in school history. “Retires” to give his son an undeserved opportunity. Doesn’t even end up running for senate. Says multiple idiotic things on TV. Brutal.’
Bruce was rumored to be considering a US Senate run last year to replace Alabama’s Tommy Tuberville, a former Auburn football coach. In the end, Bruce opted for a TV role with CBS, but remains a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
As of Friday, there are nearly 2,000 reported dead, including roughly 1,400 civilians, during the ongoing conflict with Iran, according to multiple reports. Thus far, 11 American servicemembers have been killed, including four who died when a US refueling plane crashed in Iraq on Thursday.
