- Bruce Pearl retires from college basketball with a complex legacy — and the chops for political office.
- Retiring Auburn coach says he’s not running for U.S. Senate, but he would have made for an interesting candidate.
- U.S. Senate seat in Alabama will come open as Tommy Tuberville pursues governor spot.
What’s the difference between a college coach and a politician? One works longer hours and holds a clipboard.
Seriously, how many times did you look at basketball coach Bruce Pearl and think, “That guy is such a politician.”
Only every Saturday throughout the winter.
That’s not a biting criticism, by the way.
If you drew a Venn diagram of the skills needed to be a successful politician and a good college coach, there’d be a giant overlap in the middle of the diagram.
Because of those overlapping skillsets, and because of Pearl’s interest in politics, it’s hardly surprising Pearl, 65, considered running for the U.S. Senate seat in Alabama that Tommy Tuberville is vacating to pursue the governorship.
Wouldn’t it have been so fitting, for a state like Alabama that’s crazy about college sports, if one former coach had replaced another in a Republican senate seat?
It won’t happen.
Pearl announced Monday he’s not running for Senate. He’s just retiring as Auburn’s basketball coach.
Pearl’s son, Steven, will be elevated to replace his dad as Auburn’s coach. Pearl will become a special assistant to Auburn athletic director John Cohen.
Becoming a Senator “would have required leaving Auburn,” Pearl said in his retirement announcement. “Instead, the university has given me the opportunity to stay here and be Auburn’s senator.”
In other words, he’s becoming an ambassador for Auburn and a cheerleader for his son. So, no politics for now, anyway.
Nonetheless, Pearl’s flirtation with running for office points to the threads between coaching and politics. Pearl’s not the only former coach in Alabama who would make a fascinating politician, either. A certain former Alabama football coach comes to mind. If Nick Saban announced his candidacy, he’d clear the field.
Either Pearl or Saban has more charisma than Tuberville, a professional weasel and boot licker who once misidentified the three branches of government, and who infamously declared the only way he was ever leaving Ole Miss was ‘in a pine box.’ Days later, Tuberville left, in a private jet, to become Auburn’s coach.
Bruce Pearl has chops for politics, even if he’s not running
Would enough Alabamians have supported Pearl in a crowded GOP primary? I’ll leave that to the political pundits. Pearl is Jewish, and his strongest political position is a staunch support for Israel. I’m unsure the degree to which that would help him with Alabama voters.
I am sure Pearl is a tremendous showman. That’s a feature, not a bug, when running for office. I mean, consider the showman who resides at the White House.
The more I think about it, the more I think Pearl is a born politician who just so happened to be an excellent coach, too.
Both jobs require the officeholder to effectively fundraise and schmooze with donors. Pearl knows how to fundraise and glad-hand. Both jobs demand tremendous recruiting. Politicians recruit voters. Coaches recruit prospects. Both jobs come more easily to those who can turn a phrase and thrive in the media spotlight. In both arenas, you might need to get your hands a little dirty while navigating in the gray.
Knowing how to horse trade helps, too. Consider Pearl’s tenure at Tennessee, where he built a friendship with Pat Summitt. Pearl once painted his bare chest and cheered on the Lady Vols for a game against No. 1 Duke. Summitt returned the favor for Pearl later that season, donning a cheerleading outfit and hyping the crowd as Pearl’s team hosted rival Florida.
Bruce Pearl exits college basketball with complex legacy
Pearl had his detractors. More than a few. He became public enemy No. 1 at Illinois for many years after trying to sic the NCAA’s hounds on the Illini while an Iowa assistant coach.
While Pearl evoked strong emotions in his enemies, he built passionate fan bases, too. Heck, he turned Auburn into a basketball school. Talk about a feat. Persistent winning helped, but he’s also got plenty of personality, a sense of humor, and an aura about him. He transformed Auburn from a cratering program into an SEC monster, and sleepy Neville Arena erupted into ‘The Jungle,’ with Pearl acting as Pied Piper.
At Tennessee, Pearl ignited the program, but the school fired him after he hosted an illicit barbecue that ran afoul of NCAA recruiting rules, and then he lied to NCAA investigators. In Washington, soirées and lying are known as politics.
Pearl’s basketball coaching legacy is that of a tremendous winner and a sometimes rule-flouter. Before his retirement, Pearl ranked among the nation’s best active coaches to never win a national championship. He enlivened repressed programs and galvanized fans. He commanded the spotlight. His supporters loved him. His rivals found him odious.
Sounds a lot like a politician — if not now, perhaps later.
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.