Bruce Pearl's shocking retirement on Monday came with another piece of news, as he put a long-running rumor to bed.

In the video announcing his retirement as Auburn's head basketball coach, Pearl confirmed that he is not planning to enter the Alabama Senate race in 2026. The man currently occupying that seat, Tommy Tuberville, will not chase it again and has opted instead to run the be the state's governor.

In an odd twist, Tuberville was also a coach at Auburn, as he ran the football program from 1999 through 2008.

"Many of you know that I thought and prayed about maybe running for United States Senate, Pearl said. "Maybe to be the next great senator from the state of Alabama. That would have required leaving Auburn, and instead, the university has given me an opportunity to stay here and be Auburn’s senator.

"I need to focus now on being a great husband, being a great father, being the best grandfather I possibly can be. At the same time, as an ambassador at Auburn, I’m going to do everything I can to keep helping Auburn be the very best version of what it possibly can be."

Pearl's full video message is below.

Pearl's son Steven will take over as the program's head coach after being an assistant under his father for eight seasons.

Bruce Pearl Took Auburn to New Heights

Pearl will finish his time at Auburn with an overall record of 244-123 (.665) in 11 seasons, with an SEC record of 112-83 (.574). He led the Tigers to six NCAA tournaments and two Final Fours. They won the SEC regular season title three times and the SEC tournament twice. Pearl's final season may have been his best as Auburn went 32-6, won the SEC regular season title outright, and reached the Final Four before losing to the eventual champion Florida Gators. He was named Co-Coach of the Year by the AP.

Pearl's career spanned four stops over 30 years, with stints at Southern Indiana, Milwaukee, Tennessee, and Auburn. His overall record of 706-268 (.725) is outstanding.

Auburn will now turn to Pear's 38-year-old son Steven, who has never been a head coach at any level, while Pearl will stay on as an ambassador for the school's athletic department.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bruce Pearl Announces He Won't Run for Senate in 2026.

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