There was never really a question of if, but when.
That's the case for the Auburn men's basketball program as news broke on Monday that Bruce Pearl would be retiring after 11 seasons in charge of the Tigers, with his son, Steven, taking over the head coaching position.
There had long been rumors that Pearl was considering stepping down, but with Auburn officially starting practice on Monday, the news came as a shock when it did.
So, who is Steven Pearl outside of being Bruce's son?
The 38-year-old Pearl has been on Auburn's coaching staff since 2017, serving as an assistant coach from 2017 to 2023 before being promoted to associate head coach prior to the 2023 season. He was previously on the staff as an assistant strength and conditioning coach from 2014 to 2015. He earned a promotion to Director of Basketball Operations in 2015, before joining the coaching staff in 2017.
Steven played for the older Pearl at Tennessee from 2007 to 2011. Following graduation, he entered the field of medical sales, where he worked for Stryker Corporation for three years.
Since joining the coaching staff, Steven has played a massive role in scouting the opposition.
Per Jeff Goodman, Steven will not be named as interim head coach, but as full-time head coach, with a deal expected to be for multiple years.