Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl has announced his retirement months after taking the Tigers to another NCAA Final Four

FILE - Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl celebrates with a net after the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament against Michigan State, Sunday, March 30, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Auburn coach Bruce Pearl announced his retirement Monday months after taking the Tigers to another NCAA Final Four.

Pearl's 38-year-old son Steven Pearl is taking over as head coach of the Tigers.

"I just feel when I can’t give 100% it’s time to pass the torch,” Bruce Pearl said in a 14-minute video posted on social media.

Pearl, who is 65, is leaving Auburn as the school’s winningest coach after taking the Tigers to the NCAA Final Four for the second time. They had never been that far until going in 2019 under Pearl, and last season were the No. 1 overall seed and had a school-record 32 wins before losing to Southeastern Conference rival Florida in the national semifinal.

Led by All-American Johni Broome, Auburn spent eight straight weeks at No. 1 last season, earned the SEC regular-season title and won a school-record 32 games.

Steven Pearl played 101 games for his father at Tennessee from 2007-11. He then 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.

When Bruce Pearl was suspended for the two games early in the 2021-22 season, Steven Pearl was the acting head coach in a pair of lopsided wins.

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