If Auburn and athletic director John Cohen were looking for a blueprint on how to manage a sudden preseason coaching resignation, they could have taken a page from Virginia and athletic director Carla Williams.
On Oct. 18, 2024, longtime Cavaliers coach Tony Bennett unexpectedly stepped down, explaining that he could no longer fully commit as the college sports landscape rapidly evolved with NIL deals and the transfer portal. Bennett had guided Virginia to the 2019 national championship — much to the frustration of Auburn fans still bitter about the controversial double-dribble call in the Tigers’ Final Four loss — and was widely considered one of the sport’s premier coaches.
Rather than rushing into a permanent decision, Williams stayed patient and named associate head coach Ron Sanchez as interim head coach for the 2024–25 season. The Cavaliers struggled under his leadership, finishing 15–17 overall and 8–12 in ACC play, missing the NCAA Tournament for only the second time in 11 years.
After realizing the temporary solution was not the long-term answer, Williams made a decisive move and hired one of the most respected rising coaches in the game: Ryan Odom from VCU. In his first season in Charlottesville, the 51-year-old has led Virginia to a 27–4 record and a 15–3 mark in ACC play.
Odom brought significant head coaching experience with him, including a decade on the sidelines and the historic 2018 NCAA Tournament victory when his UMBC team became the first No. 16 seed to defeat a No. 1 seed — ironically against Virginia. He was already viewed as one of the top coaching candidates in the country.
Auburn could have followed a similar path after Bruce Pearl’s sudden retirement in October 2025. Instead, the program quickly promoted Steven Pearl — Bruce’s longtime assistant and son — to the top job despite his lack of head coaching experience. The 36-year-old was seen as a future head coach, but stepping directly into the role at a powerhouse program his father helped build was a massive leap.
In a surprising move that may have long-term consequences for the program, Auburn did not give Steven Pearl an interim opportunity to prove himself. Instead, the school handed him a five-year contract worth a base salary of $3 million annually.
So far, the results have been underwhelming. Unless Auburn makes a deep run in the SEC Tournament in Nashville this week, the Tigers are unlikely to hear their name called on Selection Sunday. Pearl has essentially been learning the job on the fly, and the season has often been marked by negative headlines — suspensions, players showing up late, instances of disrespect toward the coach, and other issues that can arise when authority in the locker room is still being established.
Perhaps most damaging has been the lack of excitement surrounding the team. According to many around the Plains, this year’s group has not been particularly enjoyable to watch or easy for fans to rally behind. While a complete roster overhaul following last season’s SEC title and Final Four appearance played a role, the administration did Pearl no favors by handing him full control without a clear fallback plan.
There is still time for Steven Pearl to prove he can succeed as a head coach at a major program. The problem for Auburn is that the program must endure the growing pains while he tries to figure it out.