Six days after firing Tony Barbee, Auburn men's basketball has its new head man: former Tennessee head coach Bruce Pearl.
Auburn athletics announced the hiring of Pearl on Tuesday, the head coach's 53rd birthday
"I'm humbled and blessed to be back in the game that I love," Pearl said. "I don't know how long it will take, but it's time to rebuild the Auburn basketball program, and bring it to a level of excellence so many of the other teams on campus enjoy."
Pearl has an NCAA Division I overall record of 231-99 in 10 seasons as a head coach.
After winning an NCAA Division II National Championship with Southern Illinois in 1995, Pearl was hired as the head coach at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he won the Horizon League Regular Season Championship and Tournament in 2004 and 2005.
While at Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Pearl was voted the Horizon League Coach of the Year in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
After his noticeable success, Pearl was snatched away from the Panthers by Tennessee.
Pearl had a very successful six seasons at Tennessee, making the NCAA Tournament all six years.
Pearl led the Volunteers to an SEC Regular Season Championship in 2008 and took Tennessee to the Sweet 16 in 2007 and 2008 while going to the Elite 8 in 2010.
"From the moment I met Coach Pearl and heard his vision for our basketball program, it was clear he's the right man at the right time for Auburn," said athletics director Jay Jacobs. "Coach Pearl is a proven winner who will bring energy and excitement to our program. We have raised the bar for Auburn basketball, and I could not be more excited for our student-athletes and our future under Coach Pearl's leadership. I know he agrees with me -- it's time to win."
While at Tennessee, Pearl was named the SEC Coach of the year in 2006 and 2008 while also being named the Adolph Rupp National Coach of the Year in 2008.
After an NCAA investigation into recruiting violations cost Pearl his job in 2011, he was placed under a three-year show cause penalty. Since his departure from Tennessee, Pearl has been an analyst at ESPN and an executive at H.T. Hackney Company in Nashville.
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