Bruce Pearl is leaning towards a decision that will make Tommy Tuberville a happy man: staying with the Auburn Tigers basketball program instead of making a run for Alabama's junior US Senate seat.
As the Jewish Insider's Emily Jacobs revealed, Pearl is giving himself until the end of the month to decide on his college basketball/political future.
"Bruce Pearl, Auburn University's men's basketball coach, is leaning against running to replace outgoing Sen. Tommy Tuberville but is giving himself until the end of the month to make a final decision," Jacobs wrote.
"Pearl, who would be the only Jewish Republican in the Senate if elected, spent the summer meeting with Alabama campaign operatives & GOP senators as he considered entering the race. This followed Tuberville’s announcement in late May that he was opting against seeking a second term to run for AL governor.
"Sources close to Pearl tell me he is unlikely to enter the contest, though they stress that the Auburn coach has not officially decided against running yet. Pearl wants to give himself a few more weeks in case he were to change his mind."
Tuberville vaguely touched on the differences between being a politician and an NCAA Division I coach, adding that he didn't want Pearl to leave AU because of how well they've done -- mainly, the program's first two Final Four appearances in school history -- with the Boston native.
“The compensation is a little bit different. I wouldn’t let him do it because he did such a good job at Auburn,” Tuberville told Semafor's Shelby Talcott and Burgess Everett. “We need him there.”
In the event Bruce leaves the Tigers, his son Steven would be the succession plan.
We'll see over the next few weeks if Steven's time will have to wait just a little bit longer.