Charles Barkley Endorses College Basketball Coach For U.S. Senate originally appeared on The Spun.
While Charles Barkley may not have political aspirations of his own (as far as we know), he has plenty of political opinions. Among those opinions is a willingness to endorse one college basketball coach for U.S. Senate.
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With U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville announcing his plans to run for Governor of Alabama in 2026, Auburn head basketball coach Bruce Pearl has been floated as a potential candidate to replace him.
Pearl has lifted Auburn to heights that the program hasn’t enjoyed since Barkley himself played there. He’s led Auburn to the Final Four twice since 2019, including this past tournament.
Barkley is such a fan of Pearl that he’s ready to endorse Pearl for Senate without the coach even announcing any interest in the job.
“I respect and trust him. I just told him to do what he wants to do,” Barkley recently told AL.com’s Roy S. Johnson. “Obviously, he’s made Auburn basketball relevant, which makes me happy.
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“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%.”
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – APRIL 04: Head Coach Bruce Pearl of the Auburn Tigers speaks to the media ahead of the Final Four in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Alamodome on April 04, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images)Alex Slitz/Getty Images
Tuberville’s candidacy for the upcoming is already off to a great start. The former college football coach already has endorsements from several of his fellow U.S. Senators along with numerous major political players throughout the state of Alabama.
Combine that with Tuberville’s strong ties to President Trump, and it will probably be more surprising if Tuberville doesn’t win the election.
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That said, Pearl said as recently as two weeks ago that he’s not interested in the position. And with numerous candidates already having declared their candidacy, Pearl would be at a massive disadvantage in terms of the infrastructure needed to run a campaign.
At any rate, Pearl is enjoying way too much success to give up now. He was just two wins away from his first-ever national title just a few months ago.
Pearl might want to conquer the college hoops mountain before he changes careers entirely. Though if he ever does, he’ll have no shortage of support.
Related: Charles Barkley Announces His Official Political Affiliation In 2024
Charles Barkley Endorses College Basketball Coach For U.S. Senate first appeared on The Spun on Jul 11, 2025
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jul 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
