Bruce Pearl’s has been one of the better comeback stories in college basketball. A setback that once threatened to mask his entire journey only stirred him in the right direction– winningest coach at Auburn and the 2025 SEC Coach of the Year to name some. Pearl has transformed the program in this new chapter. And his financial success? It has been right on par.
The Auburn head coach ranks among the highest-paid head coaches in college basketball. Here’s a full rundown on how much Bruce Pearl will make coaching in 2025 and his contract with Auburn.
What is Bruce Pearl’s contract with the Auburn Tigers? How long is the deal?
In 2022, Pearl inked a handsome eight-year contract with Auburn that ends on April 30, 2030. The $50.2 million contract starts Pearl off with a hefty $5.4 million annual base salary, which increases by $250,000 per year. By the 2029-2030 season, his base salary will be $7.15 million. That’s just the base salary, though. Pearl gets an additional $2.575 million per year for endorsement rights and personal appearances as well. All $2.575 million are scheduled for a $125,000 increase annually.
The deal also includes several lucrative performance bonuses that Pearl could trigger, such as $100,000 for winning the SEC regular season championship, $50,000 for winning the SEC Tournament, and up to $600,000 for reaching the Final Four or winning the national championship.
If Auburn did opt to let Pearl go before 2030, well, it would be pricey. The cost of his buyout if Auburn terminated him in the 2024-25 season will be around $11.6 million. So, Auburn will clearly want Pearl to stick around as long as he continues to win games.
How much will Bruce Pearl earn in the 2024-25 NCAA season?
For 2024-25, Bruce Pearl’s guaranteed pay is $5,958,852. He is the No. 6 highest-paid coach in college basketball. The Auburn Tigers HC’s salary is comprised of $5,933,852 in pay from Auburn and $25,000 in other pay.
But here’s the kicker—Pearl’s overall compensation can increase further via performance-based incentives. Pearl has a max bonus potential of $925,000—a sizable sum of additional money. He collected $175,000 in bonuses the previous season.
Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl pumps up the crowd as Auburn Tigers take on Kent State Golden Flashes at Neville Arena in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2024. Auburn Tigers lead Kent State Golden Flashes 36-22 at halftime.
It’s not a big surprise that Pearl is among the best-paid college coaches in the nation. Just look at the five names in front of him— Bill Self (Kansas), John Calipari (Arkansas), Dan Hurley (UConn), Tom Izzo (Michigan State), and Mick Cronin (UCLA). It’s evident that Pearl has made his mark on college basketball.
What was Bruce Pearl’s previous contract with the Auburn Tigers?
Before this deal, Bruce Pearl was under a five-year deal that was signed in 2019. By that point, he had already taken Auburn to its historic Final Four and had proven that he was capable of taking a program to the next level. Before that however, once he first got to Auburn in 2014, Pearl was signed to a six-year deal worth $2.2 million per year, with a $100,000 annual increase. Auburn clearly grew to trust him even more as he turned the team into a national force.
Auburn has risen to unprecedented levels under Pearl, such as achieving the program’s first-ever No. 1 ranking in the AP Poll in 2022 and assuming the spot for 8-straight weeks in 2025. The investment is a reflection of the program’s recent success—and the belief that more is to come.
What is Bruce Pearl’s net worth in 2025?
Bruce Pearl’s net worth in 2025 is in the range of $5 million-10 million. This is after taking into consideration his stellar career both as a college head coach in several universities as well as the value of his contracts and endorsement deals. It is also important to note that net worth is dependent on investments, assets and lifestyle.
At the rate Auburn has grown– from a bottom-of-the-table SEC team in 2014 to championship contender in 2025, only expect the sum to grow.
Pearl has led the program to three SEC regular season champions, two SEC Tournament championships, and six NCAA Tournament appearances in his decade-long tenure with the Tigers. In 2025, a regular season title, meant Auburn was poised to secure the No. 1 seed in the big dance for the first time since 1999.
There’s little question that between his Auburn legacy and his net worth, only future growth lays ahead of Pearl in the years to come.
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