Auburn coach Bruce Pearl's abrupt retirement as its men's basketball coach on Monday -- just 42 days out from its season-opener -- might come as a surprise to those who have followed Pearl at arm's length in recent years.

It is not, however, a surprise to many who have followed closely Pearl's evolving passions in recent years.

The 65-year-old Pearl in recent months has openly flirted with the idea of staging a run in the political realm, made possible by Tommy Tuberville's recent decision to vacate his Alabama Senate seat to run for governor. That has coincided with posts shared with increasing frequency on Pearl's own social media related to politics, the war in Gaza, his Jewish heritage and his support of President Donald Trump.

Pearl on Monday swatted down those rumors of an im

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