It was an interesting sight on Auburn’s sideline on Tuesday night as the Tigers battled LSU on Senior Night. Usually dressed in a pullover, Auburn head basketball coach Steven Pearl was instead wearing a suit, something that was normal back in the day but had gone out of style over the past couple of decades.
It was a promise that the coach kept to one of his players.
“Key (Keyshawn Hall) asked me to dress up a few weeks ago for his Senior Day,” Pearl said.
The Tigers beat the Bayou Bengals 88-74, keeping their NCAA Tournament hopes alive and breaking a two-game losing streak, so with a matchup against rival Alabama coming up on Saturday, will Pearl keep the tradition going, considering Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats is always donning a suit on the sidelines? Not likely if he had his way.
Steven Pearl afraid of ripping suit pants
“I mean, it's uncomfortable,” Pearl said. “It's hot. I feel like I'm going to rip through my pants every time I try and bend down. But maybe, you know, maybe. I'll ask the guys. If the guys want me to wear it, I'll wear it. It definitely kept me a little more calm because you could rip through this thing if you get too excited.”
Steven’s father, Bruce, was almost always seen wearing a suit earlier in his coaching career, including the bright orange coat he would bring out while at Tennessee when the Volunteers faced a rival. As he aged, though, he tended to go toward a polo shirt, likely to keep the sweat situation to a minimum while yelling on the sidelines.
The only coach besides Oats regularly seen in a suit now is old-school Rick Pitino, who has even gone to an all-white suit a few times during his days at Louisville and now at St. John’s.