Bruce Pearl Coaching History & Bio

Bruce Pearl just finished in his 11th season as Auburn Tigers head basketball coach. He is the winningest coach in Auburn basketball history, with a record of 246-125 after Auburn lost in the 2025 Final Four.

Bruce Pearl Coaching Record

Years	School	Record
2014-present	Auburn	246-125
2005-2011	Tennessee	145-61
2001-2005	Milwaukee	86-38

Bruce Pearl Coaching Record, Year-by-Year

Year	School	Record
2024-25	Auburn	32-6*
2023-24	Auburn	27-8**
2022-23	Auburn	21-13**
2021-22	Auburn	28-6**
2020-21	Auburn	13-14
2019-20	Auburn	25-6
2018-19	Auburn	30-10*
2017-18	Auburn	26-8**
2016-17	Auburn	18-14
2015-16	Auburn	11-20
2014-15	Auburn	15-20
2010-11	Tennessee	19-15**
2009-10	Tennessee	28-9**
2008-09	Tennessee	21-13**
2007-08	Tennessee	31-5**
2006-07	Tennessee	24-11**
2005-06	Tennessee	22-8**
2004-05	Milwaukee	26-6**
2003-04	Milwaukee	20-11
2002-03	Milwaukee	24-8**
2002-02	Milwaukee	16-13

* – Reached Final Four

** – also made the NCAA Tournament

How Many Times Has Bruce Pearl Been to The Final Four?

Bruce Pearl has been to the Final Four two times as a head coach, both times with Auburn.

In 2018-19, Pearl led Auburn to the Final Four for the first time in Auburn basketball history. He led the Tigers back to the Final Four in 2024-25.

Bruce Pearl Coaching Bio

• 2014-present: Head coach Auburn
• 2005-2011: Head coach Tennessee
• 2001-2005: Head coach Milwaukee
• 1992-2001: Head coach Div. II Southern Indiana
• 1986-1992: Assistant coach Iowa
• 1982-86: Assistant coach Stanford
• 1978-82: Student assistant coach Boston College

Did Bruce Pearl Play College Basketball?

No, Bruce Pearl attended Boston College, where he was a student assistant coach under Dr. Tom Davis.

Pearl did not play high school basketball, either, although he would have had he not suffered a serious football injury during his freshman season.

Bruce Pearl Milestones

• NCAA Tournament appearances: 14
• Sweet 16 appearances: 3
• Elite Eight appearances: 2
• Final Four appearances: 2
• Overall record: 708-269 entering the 2025 Final Four (including a 231-46 record at Div. II Southern Indiana).

Bruce Pearl Bio

Bruce Pearl is one of the few college basketball coaching greats who didn’t play college basketball.

He worked his way up from a long-time understudy for Dr. Tom Davis before getting his first head coaching job at Div. II Southern Indiana. Pearl led the Screaming Eagles to the 1995 D-II NCAA Tournament championship after finishing the national runner-up in 1994.

Pearl parlayed that success into a Div. I head coaching job at Milwaukee, where he led the Panthers to a Sweet 16 in 2005 before falling to eventual NCAA Tournament runner-up Illinois.

Pearl has been an SEC coach, off and on, since becoming Tennessee’s head coach in 2005. He had success with the Volunteers but eventually was fired in 2011 amid NCAA investigations. He spent three years away from the sidelines but still actively involved in the game before becoming Auburn’s head coach in 2014.

At Auburn, he has guided the Tigers to some of their greatest achievements.

In 2018, Auburn won the SEC regular-season title.

In 2019, the Tigers won the SEC Tournament and reached the Final Four for the first time in program history.

In 2022, the Tigers again won the SEC regular-season title. In 2024, they captured the SEC Tournament title, and in 2025, they won the SEC regular-season championship again and reached the Final Four.