Steven Pearl has been through the most scrutinized head coaching debut for the son of a coaching legend the world has ever seen. The Auburn Tigers' 2025-26 season dwarfed the coaching debuts of guys like Richard Pitino, Dan Hurley, Scott Drew, and Tony Bennett. Unlike those head coaches who are sons of head coaches, Steven was directly inheriting a Final Four team from his father, Bruce.
All in all, this was a successful year in Auburn basketball's lineage, if also an underwhelming one because of last year's glory. Pearl admitted it was tough, but he took a healthy view of the ups and downs.
As Steven pointed out, he had to replace the core of a great team, but was able to fight and reach the finals of the NIT Tournament. He also brought up a difficult schedule that holds some weight, but comes off as a bit of whining at this point.
“I don’t think you guys have enough time to go through the number of lessons I’ve learned in my first year,” Pearl said. “I think it’s something that I’ll probably look back and reflect on once the season is over. There’s so many things that kind of come to mind.
“For me, those, I’m thankful for the (players). You know, they were put in an incredibly difficult situation this year, coming in with only one returner, 10 new guys, nine underclassmen. And then having to deal with me as a first-year head coach, playing one of the toughest strength of schedules in all of college basketball in the deepest league in the country, and going through some tremendous highs and some very difficult lows.
“And then obviously to not be in the tournament and put in a position where we’ve got to play the NIT Championship, and to their credit, these young men have taken full advantage of that opportunity. I’m proud of them.”
Certainly, Bruce's comments throughout CBS's coverage of March Madness made life even harder for Steven.
Steven Pearl didn't buy enough goodwill with Auburn to miss the NCAA Tournament again in 2027
An NIT Tournament appearance is clowned by rival fanbases that made the tournament. Just like AU was this year, the shoe would be on the other foot if the Alabama Crimson Tide were in the NIT and the Tigers were in the NCAA Tournament.
Pearl leading this team to an NIT title game is a nice consolation prize and strengthens the argument that Auburn should've made March Madness instead of the SMU Mustangs. Still, not making the NCAA Tournament next year could have his seat hot and John Cohen's even hotter.