When Bruce Pearl announced his retirement before the season and his son, Steven Pearl, stepped into the head-coaching role, it was expected that Auburn would see some stylistic differences. Although both Pearls are energetic on the sidelines, no father-son duo is going to coach the exact same way.
After Auburn’s 84–73 win over Oregon at the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas, star point guard Tahaad Pettiford spoke about the contrast between the two coaches.
“Steven is just a different type of person,” Pettiford told AuburnUndercover’s Nathan King. “He’s a cooler guy, he’s younger, he connects with us more. He’s someone we can talk to, someone who really understands us.”
That isn’t necessarily a critique of Bruce Pearl—it’s natural that Steven, at 38, can relate more easily to college players than his 65-year-old father.
Many Auburn fans were concerned the program might decline after Bruce Pearl, who guided the Tigers to three SEC regular-season titles, two SEC Tournament crowns and a pair of Final Four runs, stepped away. But early results under Steven Pearl have been strong, with Auburn’s lone loss coming by just one point against No. 2 Houston last Sunday.
The younger Pearl still faces challenges ahead, including Tuesday night’s matchup with No. 7 Michigan—a rematch of last year’s Sweet 16 game where Auburn stormed back in the second half to win 78–65. While both teams look very different after heavy roster turnover, one familiar face remains: Pettiford, who scored 20 points in that tournament victory.