In the moment, it would have been acceptable for Steven Pearl to sneer at the public address announcer. It was a low blow, and it came when coaches from both Auburn and Alabama were taking time to play a round of golf for bigger causes than the rivalry.
Heck, I wouldn’t have blamed Pearl for retorting in some way.
If you missed it, the Auburn head basketball coach was about to tee off in the Regions Tradition Pro-Am in Hoover, Ala., on Wednesday. It is an annual event that raises money for charity while letting fans see their favorite coaches up close and personal. When Pearl stepped up to the tee, the PA announcer, for some reason I will never understand, took the moment to troll the coach with a punch to the gut.
“I promise, coach, you will not hear the review center say ‘you did not get this shot off in time,'” he said over a microphone.
#Auburn coach Steven Pearl first tee shot here at the Regions Pro-Am. pic.twitter.com/SlYkSRVOHf
— Jerry Humphrey III (@Jerryhump3) April 29, 2026
It was a throwback to Auburn’s heartbreaking loss to Texas A&M, in which KeShawn Murphy appeared to hit a game-winning three-pointer only for SEC officials to rule that he didn’t get the ball out of his hand in time. While it didn’t exactly cost Auburn a spot in the NCAA Tournament, the win would have definitely helped their cause.
Trolling coaches has no place at a charity golf tournament
Which brings us back to why in the world the announcer would bring this up four months later. Sure, there might be a backstory of him and Pearl being buddies, but the way the coach reacted to the dig, that seems extremely unlikely. Apparently there was a jab for every coach, but this one just seemed over the top.
There will always be a war of words between Auburn and Alabama fans (I’m just assuming that the announcer is a fan of the Crimson Tide, as no Auburn fan would have the nerve to do that), but those should stay on the message boards, social media and arguments at the local bar. It has no place during a nice round of golf that Pearl and other coaches spend their time playing for charity, especially a cause as important as Children's for Alabama.
Pearl won the battle by not reacting. The PA announcer should be ashamed of his actions.
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