College Basketball
Bruce Pearl Joining TNT, CBS Sports as College Basketball Analyst
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All posts by James FoglioUpdated1 hour ago on October 17, 2025
Just weeks after announcing his retirement from coaching, Bruce Pearl reached a deal to serve as a college basketball analyst for TNT and CBS Sports for their coverage this season.
Bruce Pearl Joining Jalen Rose, Chris Webber On TNT
Pearl will be on TNT’s studio team with Jalen Rose, Jamal Mashburn, Chris Webber, and Adam Lefkoe during its first season of covering Big East and Big 12 games.
“I don’t think it took them 24 hours to reach out,” Pearl said about the interest from networks. “I worked with those guys before and saw how they did things. I was pleased that they called and had some interest.”
Per The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, Pearl will also be a game and studio analyst for CBS during the regular season. Pearl will then move to the studio for CBS and TNT during their joint coverage of the men’s NCAA Tournament.
TNT SPORTS HAS ANNOUNCED ITS 🌟STAR-STUDDED🌟 COLLEGE BASKETBALL STUDIO TEAM 🚨
🏀@coachbrucepearl
🏀@jamalmashburn
🏀@JalenRose
🏀@realchriswebber
🏀@AdamLefkoeTNT Sports tips off the season on Monday, Nov. 3. More: https://t.co/5xw0SCHAYf pic.twitter.com/0dEsWYNbGg
— TNT Sports U.S. PR (@TNTSportsPR) October 16, 2025
CBS SPORTS STRENGTHENS ROSTER OF COLLEGE BASKETBALL ANALYSTS WITH BRUCE PEARL AND ROBBIE HUMMEL‼️@coachbrucepearl and @RobbieHummel to call CBS regular-season games and contribute to studio coverage, as well as CBS Sports and TNT Sports’ joint coverage of March Madness. pic.twitter.com/D5Ds97g2ar
— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) October 16, 2025
Although TNT has been sharing the tournament with CBS for a decade and a half, this is the first season that it will feature a full regular-season slate that includes 72 men’s and women’s games combined.
“I’m excited about this next chapter,” Pearl added. “I’m going to try to bring the same passion and intensity, and I look forward to being able to teach a little bit and share some of the nuances of how does that guy get open like that and what did it take for them to be able to get that shot? I think the viewer is a lot smarter than wat I think many analysts give them credit for.”
Pearl Coached Basketball For 30 Years
Pearl, 65, stepped down at Auburn last month after 11 years with the program.
Steven, Pearl’s son and the Tigers’ associate head coach, received a five-year contract to become the 22nd head coach for men’s basketball. He’s been an assistant under his father since 2017, and was promoted to Auburn’s associate head coach in 2023.
As a college coach, Pearl had a 694-270 (.720) record, including 232-125 (.650) in the last 11 years at Auburn. The Tigers made the Final Four last March.
During Pearl’s time at Auburn, the Tigers also earned three SEC regular-season titles and won two SEC tournament championships. They had a total of seven winning seasons under Pearl.
Pearl had previously served as head coach at Tennessee, Milwaukee, and Southern Indiana. His career coaching record is technically 706-268, according to College Basketball Reference.
However, Auburn vacated 12 wins (including seven SEC wins) during the 2016-17 season as part of the NCAA infractions. This was due to former assistant coach Chuck Person’s involvement in the 2017-18 corruption scandal.
