Congressman Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said that he would endorse Auburn University men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl if he were to run for a Senate seat.

"Oh, sure," Burchett answered on the "Just the News, No Noise" TV show earlier this week when asked if he would support Pearl running for Senate. "He coached at UT. I was at him and Brandy's wedding. I know his son. I know both his sons. I know his daughter."

Pearl has been married to his wife Brandy since 2009. He has four children from a previous marriage. 

There have been reports of Pearl potentially running for Congress as current Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., has launched a bid for governor of Alabama in 2026.

Alabama now has an open seat in the midterms. So far, no Republican has announced intentions to fill the seat.

Tuberville was also a coach before becoming a senator. He coached Auburn Tigers football from 1999 to 2008. Pearl led the Auburn Tigers to the Final Four this spring. The Associated Press honored him as co-coach of the year in 2025.

Before announcing his bid for governor, Tuberville said in a statement to Semafor that Auburn still needed Pearl at the university. 

“The compensation is a little bit different,” he told the news outlet. “I wouldn’t let him do it because he did such a good job at Auburn. We need him there.”

Burchett jokingly said that he wasn't sure if Pearl would be able to take the pay cut if he were to serve in Congress. 

According to the Montgomery Advertiser, in the 2024-2025 season, Pearl was the sixth-highest-paid coach in the nation.

"I don't know if Bruce could take the cut in pay," Burchett said. "I suspect they paid him a few million dollars, and he'll have to creep by on $170,000. But BP is the man. He is an energizer."

As of now, Pearl has not given any indication of running for Senate.