Steven Pearl hears the talk that he didn't earn his place as the Auburn Tigers' head basketball coach, but rather he's a "nepotism" hire who wouldn't have been considered if his predecessor weren't his father, Bruce.
He just doesn't agree in the slightest. Steven made the case to OutKick's Dan Dakich on his Don't @ Me radio show that the body of his career speaks to his abilities more so than his last name and family lineage.
"I get why people say the things that they did. I get that people may look at this and say, 'this is a nepotism hire.'.. at the end of the day, I just gotta be secure in the fact that I busted my ass my entire career," Steven said.
Truth be told, those around the Plains witnessed Steven's involvement with the 2024-25 team that made the Final Four. It was as if Steven was the functioning head coach, as Bruce was focused on his political appearances on various networks. Bruce had also been dabbling in media work, setting up his current gig with Turner Broadcasting.
Chad Baker-Mazara, who transferred over the summer before Bruce's retirement, made it clear that he saw the switch coming.
“Yes and no, I would say,” Baker-Mazara said when asked if he saw Bruce's retirement coming.
“Because the way he was talking to me at the end of the year, he was fading away. But at the same time, I couldn’t say, ‘Yeah, I knew,’ because I didn’t. But the way he was talking to me, I was getting hints and pieces.”
It's obvious that Steven earned his keep. Until he wins something of significance, beyond what he's already won in an unofficial capacity, though, his last name will continue to be used against him by rival fanbases.