Is Pearl considering trading fighting Razorbacks for taking on Democrats?

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — When Auburn rolls into town for a Valentine's basketball date, it will be the Hogs' customary battle against Coach Pearl, but it won't against Bruce Pearl.

Instead, it will be against his son, Steven Pearl. The legendary Auburn head coach abruptly retired Monday, roughly a month before the season starts, leaving the school little choice but to move the younger Pearl from associate head coach to head coach.

Pearl was coming off one of his most successful seasons with a Final Four appearance that featured what he described as the best team and coaching staff he has ever had the chance to be around as a coach. That includes his 2019 team when Pearl led Auburn to its first ever Final Four by running through Kansas, North Carolina and Kentucky along the way before falling to Virginia by a single point.

Pearl took over Auburn in 2014 after a show-cause penalty handed out by the NCAA for having a recruit and his family join in on a cookout at his house and a player who broke the substance abuse policy during his time at Tennessee.

He finished with an even 7-7 record against Arkansas as the head coach at Auburn, although he hit a rough patch against former Hogs coach Eric Musselman, including a loss at Bud Walton as the nation's No. 1 team. He and Musselman both became known as the only coaches who were willing to go shirtless in public settings and also each had strong relationships with fans that created wild atmospheres at their home games.

In his final game against the Razorbacks and his first and only against John Calipari as the Arkansas head coach, Pearl came out on top, 67-60, in a home win at Neville Arena.

What Pearl intends to do next is a bit of a mystery. There are reports that he may stick around Auburn in some sort of ambassador type duties.

However, many Auburn fans speculated this may be a move to allow Pearl to dip his toe into politics in much the same way former Tigers head coach Tommy Tuberville did after his time as a college football coach expired.

The timing of the retirement does raise questions. Just a couple of weeks ago, it was reported by CBSSports.com that he might be considering running for a vacant senate seat. This would allow Auburn fans to vote in another former coach as it has been reported that Tuberville will run for governor of Alabama rather than continue in the U.S. Senate.

According to Jewish Insider, Pearl apparently spent at least part of his summer meeting with Republican officials and potential campaign operatives to discuss whether a run at the Senate would be a viable and desirable option. When asked about his political aspirations, Pearl side-stepped the issue somewhat.

"I have not answered the question because I've never announced I was running for senate, have I?" AL.com reported Pearl as saying at the Mike Slive Foundation Blue Shoe Ball. "So, how do you answer the question whether you are or whether you aren't because I never said I was."

It will certainly be worth keeping an eye on how things unfold. That area of the SEC footprint has become enamored lately with the idea of crossing its SEC sports and politics with Tuberville's time in the Senate, former Georgia running back Herschal Walker's failed political bid and now the prospect of Sen. Bruce Pearl.

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