Former Auburn coach Bruce Pearl has confirmed what many have suspected since he stepped down last season: He helped his son secure the Tigers job on his way out the door.
Pearl led the Auburn Tigers to the Final Four last season, but fell to eventual national champions Florida.
In the offseason, Pearl stunningly announced that he would be stepping down to take an ambassadorial role with Auburn University, only for his son, Steven, to take over the Tigers program. Prior to becoming Auburn’s head coach, Steven’s college basketball experience was limited to playing for his father at Tennessee and later serving as Pearl’s assistant with the Tigers.
Speaking to OutKick, Bruce made it obvious that he was on his son’s side as 16-14 Auburn fights to try and get into the NCAA Tournament.
‘Right now, Auburn is on the bubble,’ Pearl told the outlet. ‘They are either going to play their way in or play their way out… Looks to me like they got to win one more to get in.
Former Auburn coach Bruce Pearl admitted to nepotism when he left his job last fall
Bruce suddenly left the job in mid-September leading to his son, Steven, taking over
Under Steven, Auburn stands at 16-14 and are barely clinging to hope to make March Madness
‘That’s objectively how I feel. Am I rooting for my son to make the NCAA Tournament? Of course I am. Did I help my son get the job? Nepotism? Of course I did.’
Auburn’s entrance in March Madness likely hinges on its final game of the season against rivals No. 16 Alabama, plus the upcoming SEC Tournament.
Barring strong results in both those, it’s not a certainty that the school makes the ‘Big Dance’ in 2026.
Last week, Bruce drew ire for suggesting that Miami University in Ohio shouldn’t make March Madness despite owning a perfect 30-0 record.
‘If we’re selecting the 68 best teams, then Miami (Ohio) is going to have to win their tournament to qualify as a champion. Because as an at-large, they are not one of the best teams in the country,’ Pearl said on TNT Sports.
This led to a strong response from Miami athletic director David Sayler, who posted to X, ‘The disrespect is awful and u should not be near a TV studio covering this sport when u show your true colors! Even slipped in a “we” when talking about Auburn, nice work!’
