Bruce Pearl has established himself at a college basketball program once again in the Auburn Tigers, and his wife has been by his side throughout the journey.
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College basketball programs are built under the influence of the right head coach. The first thing to look for is fit, then recruiting high school kids and, finally, winning. They call it the Holy Trinity of college sports.
At Auburn University, the Tigers found their guy in men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl.
The charismatic, hoarse-voiced Pearl has taken the Tigers from the bottom of the SEC to competing for national championships.
Pearl's success on the court has translated to a happy life off it. He and his wife, Brandy, have embraced Auburn, Alabama as their home.
Bruce Pearl's First Wife Kim Shrigley
Bruce Pearl's first marriage was to Kim Pearl (pictured above with son Steven Pearl) from 1982 to 2007. After 25 years, the couple split. According to Yahoo! Sports, Pearl wasted no time hitting the dating market following the break up. Kim was able to get a subtle dig at her ex for getting back into the game so fast by opening a nail salon called Alimony's in Knoxville in 2008. The shop operated for five years before closing in 2013.
Kim, who now goes by her maiden name Kim Shrigley, told The Chattanoogan in 2013 that she admitted the name of the business was "somewhat aggressive," but she wanted to use the salon to help others in similar situations as her.
Bruce Pearl's Wife Brandy Pearl
AP Photo/Butch Dill
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Pearl started dating Brandy Miller, a native of Sevierville, Tennessee, a town 30 miles southeast of Knoxville, in 2008. A year later, on August 29, 2009, the two said, "I do."
They share more than a happy marriage. They share a love for dogs. Together they co-own Grove Bark Inn, a luxury dog resort, and Zoom to Groom, a mobile pet grooming service, with business partners Steve and April Harper.
My wife Brandy’s mobile pet grooming van is coming to the Hoover, Mountain Brook, Chelsea, Childersburg and surrounding areas! Appointments will begin SEPTEMBER 9th call 334-740-9909 #ZoomToGroom #GroveBarkInn pic.twitter.com/iMy4VBepbn
— Bruce Pearl (@coachbrucepearl) August 26, 2019
Pearl joked he sometimes plays second fiddle for his wife's affection to their dog Stewy.
Bruce Pearl's Children & Coaching Career
My little girl @leahapearl had a dream, she went for it! Now killin it @NBAonTNT Couldn't be prouder! #UCGrad16 pic.twitter.com/FAAUryKJDJ
— Bruce Pearl (@coachbrucepearl) April 30, 2016
Bruce Pearl, a Boston, Massachusetts native and Boston College grad, shares four children with his ex-wife Kim Shrigley: daughters Jacqui and Leah, and sons Steven and Michael. Leah works for Turner Sports and Steven is an assistant coach under his father.
The college basketball coach has found his groove on the sideline and as a family man. Stints at Stanford, Iowa, Division II Southern Indiana, Milwaukee and Tennessee led to Auburn. There were some speed bumps and Skittle-colored suits along the way, too.
The Auburn Tigers are becoming annual participants in the NCAA Tournament and a supplier of NBA players. Pearl's squad reached the Final Four for the first time in program history in 2019. He prides his team's identity on playing through adversity, as stated to ESPN's Scott Van Pelt prior to the national semifinal matchup against Virginia.
Pearl places family above all else, no matter how grueling the regular season may be. The Auburn coach is involved in the community and goes home to a loving and supportive wife each night.
