Auburn Tigers basketball coach Steven Pearl took aim at recently fired, now-ex-football coach Hugh Freeze during Tuesday's postgame presser for AU's 95-90 win over the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats at the Neville Arena.
Pearl told the room of reporters, "I know Auburn fans are tired of being told to be patient. So we're going to get our asses to work." That was the second shot at Freeze of the day, the first coming from AD John Cohen.
"I know it’s been talked about how we’re close, right?" Cohen said. "I’m not going to say that we’re close. Close doesn’t matter. Getting it done matters."
Freeze's famous last words -- words that now are being mocked by multiple figureheads within AU -- shifted blame off of his team and onto the fanbase for not being more patient with what was constant losing under the Oxford, Mississippi, native.
"I wish I could ask for patience, but that’s not something people are willing to give in this day and age," he said. "I just know we’re so dang close."
Steven Pearl throwing stones from a glass house
Freeze didn't need that shot. Cohen's words cut enough. Freeze shared that he is forever in Auburn's corner. Freeze's humiliation ritual through a press conference is Steven drawing cheap heat from an already cynical Tiger fanbase. And it was unearned after an unimpressive performance.
Certainly, Las Vegas oddsmakers weren't picturing Bethune-Cookman coming so close to a colossal upset in Steven's official debut as head coach after taking over for his father. Getting outshot 54% to 26% from the three-point line certainly wasn't anyone's prediction.
It was early-season growing pains from a brand new roster playing for a first-time head coach who just learned he was going to have this job in late September. It wasn't fun, but the sky isn't falling.
But unnecessary shots from the top rope on Freeze are, the day after his firing. And quite frankly, it feels a bit much. Let the Plains thaw in peace without giving too much grief to a man who tried hard on the recruiting trail but couldn't gameplan worth a damn.