For Steven Pearl, this offseason will help him prepare for his second season as a head coach, but the first in which he wasn’t suddenly thrown into the job.
It was a wild October for Auburn basketball when Bruce Pearl suddenly resigned, leaving the keys to his son and putting the Tigers in a weird place where they had an immediate first-year head coach.
Still, despite missing the NCAA Tournament, Auburn did win the NIT, something fans would have clamored for before the elder Pearl arrived in 2014. But what issues could Steven Pearl face this offseason and into the 2026-27 season? Here are three main ones.
Will Tahaad Pettiford become the leader Auburn needs?
The rising junior has all the talent in the world and was considered a possible first-round pick following his freshman season, in which he came off the bench. There were times last season that he looked checked out, especially when it came to turning the ball over in silly moments.
The transition from going from the young buck to the only player on the roster who helped Auburn make the 2025 Final Four had to be difficult, as Pettiford was asked to step up in more ways than his play. He still had a good season, averaging 15.4 points and 3.8 assists, but he also averaged 2.2 turnovers per game. At times, it seemed he wasn’t playing to his full potential, and in a couple of instances, he was reprimanded for violating team rules.
For Auburn to reach its potential in 2026-27, Pettiford must step up in several ways.
Will the added height help on the inside?
Going into last season and throughout it, the scouting report on Auburn was that they could be handled inside, as the enforcers from the 2024-25 team were gone, and the Tigers now lacked size. That proved true against many teams, but Pearl went out of his way to hopefully solve that with the additions of 7-foot-1 Bukky Oboye and 6-foot-10 Owen Freeman.
Adding the height is one thing. Those players being productive inside is another.
Does Pearl know who he is as a head coach?
To his credit, Pearl never made excuses for the situation he was put in after his father, Bruce, suddenly resigned at the start of fall practice. He likely knew it was coming, but that doesn’t mean he knew who he was as a head coach once the time arrived. Now, with a season and a full offseason under his belt, and the ability to build the roster to his style, Pearl should be able to coach this team better.
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