New Auburn Coach Bruce Pearl is still under NCAA recruiting sanctions

Bruce Pearl was fired from his last basketball coaching gig after an NCAA investigation into recruiting violations.

He will still be facing the penalty for those past infractions when he starts his new job.

The 54-year-old Pearl will be formally introduced as Auburn’s new men’s basketball coach Tuesday night, a little more than five months before he is allowed by the NCAA to meet with recruits.

Pearl was placed under a three-year show-cause penalty, which expires Aug. 23, after being cited for lying to investigators while he was coach at Tennessee.

An NCAA spokeswoman said Auburn can either contest or accept the show-cause penalty by filing a report to the Committee on Infractions within 30 days.

Auburn Athletic Director Jay Jacobs is expected to address the issue Tuesday night.

Pearl was fired by Tennessee in 2011 after the investigation. Before that, however, he had plenty of success with the Volunteers, taking the team to the NCAA tournament in each of his six years as coach.

That’s the guy Jacobs is expecting to lead the Tigers, which hasn’t experienced March Madness since 2003.

“From the moment I met Coach Pearl and heard his vision for our basketball program, it was clear he’s the right man at the right time for Auburn,” Jacobs said. “Coach Pearl is a proven winner who will bring energy and excitement to our program. We have raised the bar for Auburn basketball, and I could not be more excited for our student-athletes and our future under Coach Pearl’s leadership. I know he agrees with me — it’s time to win.”

Pearl is 231-99 in Division I, has taken nine of his 10 Division I teams to the NCAA tournament and led Division II Southern Indiana to a national title in 1995. He succeeds Tony Barbee, who went 18-50 in the SEC during his four-year tenure.

“I’m humbled and blessed to be back in the game that I love,” Pearl said in a statement. “I don’t know how long it will take, but it’s time to rebuild the Auburn basketball program, and bring it to a level of excellence so many of the other teams on campus enjoy.”