Latest news with #BrucePearl
Fox News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Auburn's Bruce Pearl pumps brakes on US Senate rumors
Bruce Pearl's name was floated as a possible candidate to replace Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., in his U.S. Senate seat as the lawmaker announced his intention to run for Alabama governor. The Auburn Tigers men's basketball head coach even received the support of Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, despite Pearl's fervent support for President Donald Trump. Pearl addressed the possibility on the "Scott Jennings Show," wondering whether he could make as big of an impact on the world as the head coach at Auburn. "Can I also have an impact as a basketball coach?" Pearl said. "I'm graduating kids. I'm teaching kids. … I don't know that I have to be a Senator in order (make an impact), there are so many things about Washington that are so dysfunctional that I don't even know that I could make a difference there." Auburn Athletic Director John Cohen told that he expected Pearl to be the head coach of the team for the 2025-26 season. "I absolutely expect him to be the head coach at Auburn," Cohen said. "But I, I also expect all the policies of NIL Go and, and you know, our new governing body to be upheld. But things can change. We've seen that." 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's been a supporter of how Trump has handled the conflicts in the Middle East as well. Pearl was also tapped to be the chairman of the U.S. Israel Education Association. Pearl is 246-125 as the Tigers' head coach. He has led Auburn to two Final Four appearances, including last season. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Auburn basketball star guard arrested for DUI
The post Auburn basketball star guard arrested for DUI appeared first on ClutchPoints. Auburn basketball standout Tahaad Pettiford, who made the All-SEC Freshman Team and helped the Tigers advance to their second Final Four in program history, was arrested early Saturday morning on a DUI charge in Lee County, Alabama, per ESPN's Myron Medcalf. Advertisement Because Pettiford is just 19 years old, his blood alcohol level would only have to be 0.02 percent to be considered illegal in Alabama. His bail is set at $1,000. Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl issued a statement following the arrest. 'We are aware of the situation, and we will handle it internally with Tahaad and his family,' the four-time SEC Coach of the Year said. 'We take these matters seriously and will learn and grow from it moving forward.' The Tigers community will wait to see how the team decides to handle this situation. Pettiford scored 11.6 points on 42.1 percent shooting from the field and 36.6 percent shooting from 3-point range last season. He also led Auburn with 3.0 assists despite averaging just 22.9 minutes per contest. The 2024 McDonald's All-American did not command the national attention that SEC Player of the Year Johni Broome did, but he was arguably the X-factor of Pearl's squad. Tahaad Pettiford scored at least 20 points in back-to-back NCAA Tournament games, catching the eye of scouts. He declared for the NBA Draft and participated in the Combine but ultimately withdrew his name from consideration in May. The Jersey City, New Jersey native is returning to Auburn basketball and is expected to be one of the top guards in the country during the 2025-26 campaign. Advertisement There is always a possibility he faces disciplinary action, though. Pearl and the rest of the program will likely try to glean more information from Pettiford's arrest before deciding how to proceed. The Tigers officially begin practice for next season this September. Related: Dusty May defends Juwan Howard's 'misfortune' with Michigan basketball Related: Jon Scheyer has 'never seen anything like' Cedric Coward's NBA Draft rise
Daily Mail
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Auburn's Tahaad Pettiford, 19, arrested on DUI charge after 'getting $2m NIL deal to drop out of NBA Draft'
Auburn basketball star Tahaad Pettiford has been arrested on a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol, according to Lee, County Alabama police records. The 19-year-old's blood-alcohol level has not been revealed publicly, but anything above 0.02 is considered illegal in Alabama because he is underage. He has since posted a $1,000 bond and been released. 'We are aware of the situation, and we will handle internally with Tahaad and his family,' Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl said in a statement Saturday morning, according to the Montgomery Advertiser. 'We take these matters seriously and will learn and grow from it moving forward.' The star sixth man for the Tigers ' Final Four team last season, Pettiford is considered an SEC Player of the Year candidate after averaging 11.6 points, 3.0 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 22.9 minutes in 38 games as a freshman. He then averaged 15.2 points over five NCAA Tournament games, but was held to just 1-of-6 shooting in Auburn's Final Four loss to conference rival, Florida, the eventual champion. Pettiford did test the NBA waters by going through the draft combine before deciding to return to Auburn in 2025-26 for what CBS Sports has reported to be a $2 million NIL deal. His arrest comes at an awkward time for Pearl, who has been mentioned as a potential 2026 U.S. senate candidate in Alabama when former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville is expected to leave his seat on Capitol Hill to run for governor. Auburn alum and former Republican Charles Barkley would support Pearl's U.S. Senatorial campaign if the outspoken supporter of Donald Trump and Israel ever ran for the office in Alabama . 'I respect and trust him,' the basketball legend and Inside the NBA co-host told . 'I just told him to do what he wants to do.' Pearl recently made waves by publicly supporting Trump's decision to bomb Iran's nuclear facilities amid ongoing tensions between that country and Israel. 'Obviously, he's made Auburn basketball relevant, which makes me happy,' Barkley said. 'I said, 'Hey, man, as much as I love you being the head basketball coach at Auburn, you taking Auburn to two Final Fours, something I never thought would happen, but I do understand.' 'If he wants to run, I'm gonna support him 100 percent.' Barkley also voiced his support for Pearl as a coach by mentioning Auburn's graduation rate. 'One thing I know about Bruce, he cares about his players,' Barkley said. 'He's graduated 100 percent of the players who stayed in school for four years, and he's proud of that. 'That was the first conversation we had when he first got the job. I said, 'Hey, man, I want Auburn to be great in basketball. I really do. But my number one priority is these young black kids getting their education. You're gonna have a couple guys who go pro, but most of these guys are gonna have to go out and be grown men. So, I know he cares about people and players.'' Pearl has not indicated any specific plans to run for Senate , but did staunchly support Trump's decision to bomb Iran. The 65-year-old Massachusetts native even went so far as to nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize because of that military action in Iran. Although he is a former Republican, himself, Barkley does not support Trump. However, as he told that doesn't disqualify Pearl from receiving his support.
Reuters
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Auburn G Tahaad Pettiford facing DUI charge
July 12 - Auburn guard Tahaad Pettiford was arrested Friday night on a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol, according to police records in Lee County, Ala. Pettiford, 19, is under the legal drinking age so any blood-alcohol level greater than 0.02 percent is considered illegal in Alabama. His BAC was not reported. He posted a bond of $1,000. "We are aware of the situation, and we will handle internally with Tahaad and his family," Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl said in a statement Saturday morning, according to the Montgomery Advertiser. "We take these matters seriously and will learn and grow from it moving forward." A blue-chip recruit from Jersey City, N.J., and a freshman sixth man on the Tigers' Final Four team last season, Pettiford averaged 11.6 points, 3.0 assists, 2.2 rebounds and 22.9 minutes in 38 games (one start). He made the Southeastern Conference's All-Freshman team and earned a spot on the NCAA Tournament's All-Region team after averaging 15.2 points in five tourney games. He was held to seven points on 1-of-6 shooting in Auburn's loss to eventual champion Florida in the Final Four. Pettiford tested the NBA draft waters after the season and participated in the NBA Combine in Chicago, where his 42-inch vertical leap was the second-best at the event. According to CBS Sports, he returned to Auburn for his sophomore year with an NIL package believed to be worth more than $2 million. Pettiford was a five-star prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, ranked No. 29 nationally and No. 2 among point guards by the 247Sports composite. --Field Level Media
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
An Unexpected Development Just Cast a Shadow Over Auburn Basketball's Offseason
An Unexpected Development Just Cast a Shadow Over Auburn Basketball's Offseason originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Auburn basketball's offseason took a sudden and unwelcome turn over the weekend as rising star point guard Tahaad Pettiford was arrested Saturday morning in Lee County, Alabama, on suspicion of DUI. Advertisement According to public records, the 19-year-old was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. Though his blood alcohol concentration was not released, Alabama state law makes it illegal for anyone under 21 to drive with a BAC of 0.02% or higher. His bond was set at $1,000. At the time of this writing, Auburn has not issued a public statement regarding the arrest, and it remains to be seen if Pettiford will face disciplinary action from the program. Pettiford's arrest comes at a time when expectations around Auburn basketball were sky-high. After a standout freshman season in which he averaged 11.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 22.9 minutes per game, helping the Tigers to their second Final Four in school history, Pettiford looked primed for a breakout sophomore year. Advertisement He tested the 2025 NBA Draft waters and impressed scouts at the combine, posting a 42-inch vertical and a strong scrimmage performance. Still, he opted to return to the Plains, hoping to boost his draft stock even further in 2026. Bruce Pearl had already hinted that Pettiford would take over as the team's starting point guard, stepping into a larger leadership role following key departures from last year's 32-win squad. Auburn Tigers guard Tahaad Pettiford© Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images Pettiford was expected to headline a reloaded roster that includes several transfers and newcomers, all working under the Tigers' new Nike partnership, which begins this season. With the team set to take part in the Nike Exhibition Series this fall, fans were eager to see Pettiford in action again. Now, there's uncertainty hanging over one of Auburn's most important pieces. Whether this incident affects his role or availability remains unknown, but it has cast a shadow on what was shaping up to be an exciting new chapter for the program. Advertisement Related: Tahaad Pettiford Makes Big NIL Splash Amid Auburn's Historic Season This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
