The Tigers and the coach agreed to a five-year contract extension Friday that will keep him in Auburn through the 2023-24 season. He’s expected to make $3.8 million per year, which will go up $125,000 after the 2019-20 season, according to Auburn Undercover. The new deal will make Pearl the third-highest paid coach in the SEC behind Kentucky’s John Calipari ($9.2 million) and Tennessee’s Rick Barnes ($4.7 million).
“I would like to thank President [Steven] Leath, Allen Greene and the Board of Trustees for their belief,” Pearl said in a statement, via USA Today. “The investment in me and my staff demonstrates their support of the men’s basketball program moving forward. I’m happy and blessed to be at Auburn and live in this wonderful community.
“I’m grateful to my coaching and support staff for building a competitive men’s basketball program. I’m grateful to our players for buying in, working extremely hard and representing what being an Auburn man and student-athlete is all about. We have the best fan base in America. The Auburn Family is for real and, along with The Jungle, create a unique game-day atmosphere. It’s great to be an Auburn Tiger.”
The extension comes less than a week after Pearl led the Tigers to a historic postseason run, leading Auburn to the Final Four. The Tigers fell out of the tournament with a semifinal loss to Virginia after a controversial call in the final seconds.
“Under Bruce’s leadership, our basketball program has reached new heights,” athletics director Allen Greene said in a statement. “Our young men continue to thrive in the classroom and on the court. We’ve experienced many firsts, including a well-documented run to the Final Four and a pair of SEC titles.
“Our return on investment is undeniable, and supporting this program from A-to-Z will continue to be a priority. Simply stated, we look forward to having Bruce as the head coach of our basketball program for many years to come.”
In five seasons with Auburn, Pearl has compiled a 100-72 record and led his team to the NCAA Tournament twice. He previously coached at Tennessee for six seasons and Milwaukee for four.
