Bruce Pearl responds to ESPN's Michael Wilbon calling him 'divisive,' hoping he was forced out at Auburn

Bruce Pearl is clapping back after comments from Michael Wilbon of Pardon the Interruption. Wilbon stated recently on an episode of the ESPN show that he hoped the Auburn coach was “forced out” of his job.

Pearl retired as the winningest coach in Auburn basketball history with a 232-125 overall record. He also led the Tigers to two Final Fours in 11 seasons at the helm.

Pearl responded to Wilbon’s comments in a recent interview on The Will Cain Show. He addressed Wilbon calling him “divisive”, offering his own experience with the talking head.

“I was a regular on ‘Pardon the Interruption,’” he said. “And I love Tony and Mike and have had great relationships with them… If there’s anything I’m not, that is divisive. I’ve tried to bring people together my entire life. Maybe it’s an example of why we can’t agree to disagree about saying things politically.

“I was not forced out. I love Auburn. I love the opportunity now to be able to do some things for faith and family and our country, to be an advocate for Israel, an advocate for education. I’m looking forward to being able to do those things while my son is winning basketball games.”

Pearl, who is Jewish, has expressed his fervent support for Israel in the face of rising antisemitism in the U.S. since the Oct. 7 terror attacks in Israel. He has also been a supporter of how president Donald Trump has handled the conflicts in the Middle East.

It seems that could be where some of Wilbon’s comments came from, but it doesn’t take away from what Pearl has done on the basketball court. His son, Steven, is set to take over for him after having served as an assistant at Auburn since 2017.

Bruce Pearl opts to become Auburn Senator after retirement amid U.S. Senate rumors

After Pearl announced his retirement on Monday, many fans openly wondered if he planned on running for Senate. In a message to fans, Pearl revealed he won’t be running for public office, but will be serving as Auburn’s senator, an ambassador for the school.

“Many of you know that I thought about running for US senate,” Pearl said. “That would’ve required leaving Auburn. Instead, the University has given me an opportunity to stay here, and be Auburn’s senator, as an ambassador at Auburn”

Many fans believed Pearl was planning on replacing Senator Tommy Tuberville, who is stepping away from his role to run for Alabama governor.

Tuberville had an extensive coaching history before entering politics. He served as the head football coach at Ole Miss, Auburn, Texas Tech and Cincinnati before running for Senate in 2020. In May, Tuberville told Semafor he would discourage Pearl from running for office.

“The compensation is a little bit different,” Tuberville said. “I wouldn’t let him do it because he did such a good job at Auburn. We need him there.”

On3’s Grant Grubbs contributed to this report.