Bruce Pearl makes a big decision that will put his son on a direct collision course with the Tennessee Vols

January 31 will be an interesting day.

Craig Smith — College Football & NFL Trending News Writer
Add as preferred source on Google
Auburn Tigers assistant coach Steven Pearl and head coach Bruce Pearl talk with their team from the bench as Auburn Tigers take on Ole Miss Rebels at Neville Arena in Auburn, Ala., on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. Bruce Pearl makes a big decision that will put his son on a direct collision course with the Tennessee Vols

Steven Pearl is not the biggest fan in the world is his alma mater. The son of Bruce Pearl has been an assistant on his father Bruce’s staff since the latter has been the head coach of the Auburn Tigers.

Now, Steven is going to get to square off with Rick Barnes and the Tennessee Vols on a more personal and direct scale. Per ESPN, Bruce is stepping down as the head coach of the Auburn Tigers, with Stephen stepping in to coach this upcoming season.

Bruce Pearl stepping down as Auburn men’s basketball coach; son Steven to take over for 2025-26

When Bruce was fired by the University of Tennessee in 2011 amid a fallout from NCAA violations, Steven didn’t hide his feelings about the program moving on and hiring Cuonzo Martin.

Those feelings appeared to never subside over time. After the Vols lost to Mississippi State in the 2024 SEC Tournament, Steven, who played at Tennessee from 2007-11, took some shots at the Vols on the Auburn radio network.

“I was walking to the game today and some Tennessee fans asked me if I was going to a barbecue, trying to throw a little shade,” Pearl said. “And that’s what we watched, Mississippi State barbecued Tennessee. Bunch of grown men went out there and punked Tennessee, and Tennessee is a hard team to punk.”

Bruce has been at Auburn for the last 11 seasons with Steven with him. Before that, he helped bring Tennessee basketball to new heights. Tennessee earned a #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament in his first season in 2005-06. He helped the program reach #1 in the nation in the polls in the 2007-08 season. They also reached the Elite Eight for the first time in the program’s modern era in 2009-10.

However, NCAA violations – and how he handled them – ultimately did him in and Pearl was dismissed on March 21, 2011. It appears as though ill feelings from that split haven’t dissipated all the way for Steven, who appears to be the one set to lead the Tigers against the Vols in the 2025-26 season.

Auburn and Tennessee are scheduled to play on January 31, 2026 in Knoxville.

Related Articles