Who is Steven Pearl? Auburn’s newest MBB head coach originally appeared on The Sporting News
Steven Pearl, the newly named Auburn men’s basketball head coach, has spent more than a decade preparing to take over the storied SEC program. He rose from support roles to lead assistant under his father, Bruce Pearl. Pearl, 38, was promoted to associate head coach in 2023 and signed a five-year deal to become Auburn’s 22nd head coach following Bruce Pearl’s retirement Monday.
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Pearl played collegiately at Tennessee under his father, logging 101 career games as a hard-nosed reserve forward and earning SEC Academic Honor Roll recognition. After a stint in medical sales, he joined Auburn’s staff in 2014 and contributed to the Tigers’ resurgence in all areas.
Steven Pearl has been instrumental in Auburn’s historic run over the last eight years, helping the Tigers win five SEC Championships, make six NCAA Tournament appearances, and reach the Final Four in 2019 and 2025. He’s credited for developing four NBA first-round draft picks and coordinating Auburn’s nationally ranked defense, which ranked ninth in adjusted efficiency last season.
“When I came to Auburn three years ago, Coach Bruce Pearl made it clear to me that he was nearing the end of his coaching days. It was obvious to me – even then – that we needed to create an internal national search to prepare for the time when Coach Pearl would be stepping down,” Auburn Athletics Director John Cohen said.
“Throughout our detailed process, it became obvious to me and our staff that Steven Pearl was clearly the best fit for Auburn. His expertise in coaching defense, his skills as an evaluator, recruiter, teacher and motivator, and his relationships with our student-athletes and staff were paramount.
Pearl takes over his father’s program, which has been nationally ranked for a school record 32 consecutive weeks. Pearl has also earned more NCAA Tournament victories than any other SEC team over the past seven years. While critics say his hiring is a case of nepotism, he does boast the talent and experience to make him excel, and he’s most likely just one phone call away from his father, Bruce Pearl.
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