Auburn locks in head men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl

AUBURN, Ala. (WSFA) - Auburn announced that head men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl is locked in.

Director of Athletics Allen Greene made the announcement on Twitter Friday night.

Pearl has agreed to a new eight-year contract, Greene announced Saturday. The contract will run through 2030 and pay Pearl $5.4 million annually with a $250,000 annual escalator.

“It wasn’t that hard,” Pearl said in the video. “I’m grateful to Allen. I’m grateful to the administration, Dr. Gogue, and General Burgess and the folks that worked on this.”

Pearl added that he will be with the Tigers’ basketball coach for a “long, long time.”

“I’m grateful. I’m humbled. I’m blessed to be your basketball coach,” he said.

The announcement comes days after Louisville reached out to Pearl about the head men’s basketball coach position.

Pearl has been with the Tigers since 2014. His record with the program is 138-92. He has also lead the Tigers to two Southeastern Conference championships, consecutive NCAA Tournament berths and the program’s first ever appearance in the Final Four.

The Tigers currently are ranked No. 1 in the AP top 25 poll, which is a first in program history..

Copyright 2022 WSFA 12 News. All rights reserved.