Auburn University men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl has announced that he will not be running to replace Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) in 2026.

While Pearl is stepping down as coach at Auburn, he will remain at the university as the college's Senator, which aligns with his desire to have more time with his family. 

In a video announcing his retirement, Pearl explained, "Many of you know that I thought and prayed about maybe running for United States Senate, 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."

Pearl gets to remain in Alabama instead of spending most of his time in Washington, D.C., which would either mean uprooting his family or simply spending more time away.

Pearl Staying At Auburn

He continued by saying, "I need to focus now on being a great husband, being a great father, being the best grandfather I possibly can be."

Pearl has been floated as a replacement for Senator Tuberville, who is running for Alabama governor in 2026, due to his immense popularity.

However, as Pearl already mentioned, he wants to focus on his family and avoid drastic changes. Furthermore, a position in Congress wouldn't be an upgrade for Pearl, who has been collecting a multi-million-dollar salary at Auburn.

Not enticing

Now of course that salary isn't as much of a factor since Pearl has retired, but uprooting his life for under $200k a year isn't enticing.

Back in May, Tuberville claimed he advised Pearl against running because of the salary disparity. And that's before even discussing the wear and tear of being in the belly of the beast that is Washington, D.C.

Pearl is a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump as well as an outspoken supporter of Israel due to his Jewish ancestry.

Going from Auburn to D.C. would really expose Pearl to the hatred and division that has become endemic in American politics, especially towards those of Jewish faith who support the state of Israel.

Tuberville's replacement

With Pearl taking himself out of the race, it appears that Alabama's Senate seat is up for grabs and will attract a variety of lesser-known candidates.

So far, there are four candidates who have thrown their hats in the ring. Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and Representative Barry Moore already have a significant political presence, boosting their campaigns. 

Alongside them are former Trump administration and Tuberville staffer Morgan Murphy and former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson.

All four of them now have a much better shot at political success now that the wildly popular Pearl is out of the picture.