In the Loveliest Village on the Plains, there must be public warnings for Auburn fans to step down from roof ledges. Since Saturday's loss to Oklahoma, the anger and frustration of Auburn fans have been at a fever pitch. On Monday, everything got worse when Bruce Pearl announced retirement plans. What comes next for Pearl may or may not be good for the state of Alabama. Clearly, the sudden departure will be bad for Auburn basketball and great for Nate Oats and Alabama Basketball.
It is not that Pearl was a dreaded coaching foe. Nate Oats has an edge in their head-to-head matchups. But Bruce could recruit, and his exit will give Alabama basketball a recruiting edge, especially for in-state talent.
Pearl Exit is an Alabama Basketball Gain
A top target for Alabama Basketball is 5-star Caleb Holt. Holt's offers are too many to list. His finalists are Alabama, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Ole Miss. Providence recently entered the mix for Holt, and he was scheduled to visit Auburn. News of Pearl's exit likely means the Auburn visit would be pointless. Alabama Basketball was in a strong position for Holt before Pearl's retirement. It is suddenly possible that Nate Oats can close the deal with Holt in the next few days.
Bruce Pearl left Auburn with no choice but to name his son, Steven Pearl, as the head coach for the 2025-26 season. Starting on Tuesday, Sept. 23, Auburn players will have a 30-day Transfer Portal window to choose a new program. The Tigers will have a tough time holding on to their entire roster.
Even if the Tigers lose only one or two players, a key loss like Tahaad Pettiford could severely damage Auburn's chances in the coming season.
There has been buzz about a Pearl retirement for months. He has been grooming his son to replace him, but there have been repeated rumors that Steven Pearl is not well-liked inside the Auburn program. He has no head coaching experience. If the rumors have some factual basis, the younger Pearl could set the Auburn program back, as happened with Auburn football coach Bryan Harsin.