Weeks after his abrupt departure from Auburn’s head coach role, Bruce Pearl finds himself facing scrutiny from fans as he transitions from the sidelines to the studio.
After a staggering 246-125 record as Auburn’s winningest head coach and leading the program to their only two Final Four appearances, Bruce Pearl announced his exit from the role on September 22.
What Is Bruce Pearl Doing After Retiring As Auburn’s Head Coach?
In a 14-minute video posted on social media, Pearl revealed that his son, Steven Pearl, will take the Tigers’ helm while he will move into an ambassador role as an assistant to Auburn’s athletic director.
CBS Sports and TNT Sports announced on Thursday, October 16, that Bruce Pearl will join their broadcast teams to cover college basketball starting in the 2025-26 season. He will also provide courtside commentary for some games this season and join the NCAA Tournament team for March Madness coverage.
Bruce Pearl’s Analyst Gig Does Not Sit Well With CBB Fans
A commentary and analysis role is a logical next step for a veteran coach like Bruce Pearl, who wants to remain in the game without the grind of recruiting, travel, and program management. But fan reception has not been entirely positive, varying from mild skepticism to downright outrage.
“One of these guys is going to be fantastic. The other is a former coach,” said one fan under CBS Sports College Basketball’s X post about Pearl and Robbie Hummel teaming up for the channel.
CBS SPORTS STRENGTHENS ROSTER OF COLLEGE BASKETBALL ANALYSTS WITH BRUCE PEARL AND ROBBIE HUMMEL‼️@coachbrucepearl and @RobbieHummel to call CBS regular-season games and contribute to studio coverage, as well as CBS Sports and TNT Sports’ joint coverage of March Madness. pic.twitter.com/D5Ds97g2ar
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) October 16, 2025
A second fan said, “Robbie Hummel is great, Bruce will figure out a way to cheat at this too!!”
This comment is related to Pearl’s infamous phone conversation with Deon Thomas in 1989, in which he probed the latter to comment on Illinois’s alleged offer of $80,000 and a Chevrolet SUV. Pearl recorded the call without Thomas’ knowledge and took it to the NCAA, a move that made the then-assistant coach of Iowa an outcast in college sports circles for years.
“He better stay away from Illinois games if he is truly sorry for lying in 1989,” said a third, referring to the same incident.
“Great for Robbie,” wrote another fan. “Keep Pearl away from the Big Ten and all will be good with me.” One fan expressed disapproval for Pearl’s rumored foray into politics and said, “Robbie is awesome, no need for the politician.”
For months before his retirement, Pearl was considered a potential successor to Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who is running for Alabama governor in 2026 and was Auburn’s head football coach from 1999 until 2008.
In his retirement video, Pearl dismissed the rumor that he would run for the Senate.