Sources: Pearl to retire as Auburn hoops coach

Bruce Pearl is expected to retire as the head coach at Auburn, sources told ESPN on Monday.

Steven Pearl, Pearl's son and the Tigers' associate head coach, is expected to be the head coach for the upcoming season, sources told ESPN.

Bruce Pearl, 65, is coming off a season in which he guided Auburn to its second-ever Final Four appearance. The Tigers earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament after winning the SEC regular-season championship, racking up 32 wins before falling to Florida in the national semifinal.

He has been the head coach at Auburn for 11 seasons, leading the Tigers to six NCAA tournament appearances and both of the program's Final Four runs. During Pearl's time at Auburn, the Tigers won at least a share of three SEC regular-season titles and two SEC tournament championships.

He went 246-125 at Auburn.

Pearl has long been linked to a post-coaching career in politics, something he addressed in early September following months-long rumors regarding Pearl as a potential candidate for Tommy Tuberville's open U.S. Senate seat.

"It's certainly something that I had considered," Pearl told reporters. "It's something I thought a great deal about, but obviously I'm here today and I'm in practice and I've got practice tomorrow."

Prior to taking over at Auburn, Pearl had been the head coach at Tennessee, Milwaukee and Southern Indiana. He went to the NCAA tournament in all six of his seasons with the Volunteers, including three Sweet 16 appearances and one Elite Eight run. He was fired in 2011 after being charged by the NCAA for unethical conduct after lying to the NCAA during an investigation into recruiting violations.

Pearl was given a three-year show-cause penalty by the NCAA, with Auburn hiring him five months before it ended.