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re: Steven Pearl introductory press conference
Posted on 9/24/25 at 12:50 pm to marshallcotiger
Posted on 9/24/25 at 12:50 pm to marshallcotiger
Board will want him fired a month into this season
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Posted on 9/24/25 at 12:58 pm to marshallcotiger
Small pool because most coaches get fired or leave in some kind of disgraceful way. Not gonna hire an assistant in most of those cases. Hiring the associate HC is not uncommon in basketball or football when a beloved coach retires.
Agree that he was hired in large part because his dad is Bruce, but you could have also been complaining for years that our associate HC was only hired because his dad was Bruce. Obviously the standard for what he has to do is now raised though. He's got to win games.
Agree that he was hired in large part because his dad is Bruce, but you could have also been complaining for years that our associate HC was only hired because his dad was Bruce. Obviously the standard for what he has to do is now raised though. He's got to win games.
Posted on 9/24/25 at 12:58 pm to marshallcotiger
I agree that Bruce's first priority was making sure his son got the job. Honestly, if 5 years ago he made a deal with the administration that he would stay at Auburn 5 more years, but at the end of it Steven became HC, I would be ok with that. Steven may or may not be great, but if a couple of years of Steven as an average HC is the price we pay for basketball relevancy, it was worth it.
There is also value in keeping Bruce engaged at Auburn, and this is the only way that happens.
However, we shouldn't kid ourselves. Bruce was unique and he knew how to get the best out of coaches and players. He also knew how to get the fans to buy in when there was nothing worth buying into. Steven won't have that. My hope is he doesn't need it and that he brings his own personality to the job of leading the program.
There is also value in keeping Bruce engaged at Auburn, and this is the only way that happens.
However, we shouldn't kid ourselves. Bruce was unique and he knew how to get the best out of coaches and players. He also knew how to get the fans to buy in when there was nothing worth buying into. Steven won't have that. My hope is he doesn't need it and that he brings his own personality to the job of leading the program.
Posted on 9/24/25 at 1:01 pm to marshallcotiger
quote:
only reason he was considered and got this job is because of who his dad is
Disagree with this. I think of this more of a Jon Scheyer becoming the head coach behind Coach K. Impossible shoes to fill but with the culture and the legacy they have at Duke it may be better to higher from someone who knows the ins and outs of the program than to bring in an outsider who tries to change the culture. Scheyer also had never been a head coach before and seems to be doing alright. I know we won't have the same recruiting class and studs as Duke but you can't put a price tag on roster continuity. Also, you have to think that if SP wanted to he could have taken a head coaching job a year or two ago and then come back and taken over as head coach at AU, but no guarantee that we get to the final four without him last year. Time will tell but I'm riding with SP
War Eagle
Posted on 9/24/25 at 1:15 pm to AUgryphon
Well said.
Posted on 9/24/25 at 1:31 pm to loganromp
SP didn't start as a coach on the team, he worked his way to that level to get past the whole nepotism thing, he's recruited his arse off for the years, made it to asst head coach, and has been heavily involved in other areas. I believe this is much better than doing a coaching search, losing all the players that matter, and resetting completely imo.
Posted on 9/24/25 at 1:34 pm to TemperdTiger
A one year reset means very little in the grand scheme of things.
Posted on 9/24/25 at 1:40 pm to jangalang
Yet having a continuity of operations is undersold especially if coach was feeling he couldn't keep up in the middle of season prep where teams are hugely already set
Posted on 9/24/25 at 1:47 pm to TemperdTiger
quote:I am not entertaining this. Bruce could've just retired after the season and went out on a monumental note.
if coach was feeling he couldn't keep up in the middle of season prep where teams are hugely already set
quote:
Yet having a continuity of operations is undersold
I love the continuity word but results matter more than seamless transitions. I'd much rather have a guy that I know that can get us to where we are knocking out 25 win seasons
Posted on 9/24/25 at 2:18 pm to TheJones
quote:
Yeah, he posted that a million times too. Just suspicious that fate would have it that the likely starters all had classes they couldn’t miss
More importantly anyway, they’re at practice at least
Probably because the media and whoever would give them crap for skipping classes.
#scandal
This post was edited on 9/24/25 at 2:19 pm
Posted on 9/24/25 at 2:20 pm to i am dan
What's more worrisome and largely going un-reported is Burger Master was not in attendance. Day one and already having staff problems. Not a good sign.
This post was edited on 9/24/25 at 2:29 pm
Posted on 9/24/25 at 2:21 pm to GoCrazyAuburn
I doubt the staff is going anywhere. If they did I feel like it would be for HC jobs and there aren't any open. Now after the season might be different, but for now I think we are good.
Posted on 9/24/25 at 2:29 pm to jt33
Sorry, forgot to put the sarcasm font on that. Fixed.
Posted on 9/24/25 at 4:28 pm to auburnnyc94
quote:
Small pool because most coaches get fired or leave in some kind of disgraceful way. Not gonna hire an assistant in most of those cases. Hiring the associate HC is not uncommon in basketball or football when a beloved coach retires.
Very small pool, but hiring an assistant seems to be the norm when a HC retires in good standing.
Jim Boeheim (Syracuse) 2023 - Hired Adrian Autry, assistant to Jim Boeheim
Mike Krzyzewski (Duke) 2022 - Hired Jon Scheyer, Krzyzewski's assistant
Jay Wright (Villanova) 2022 - Hired Kyle Neptune, Wright's assistant, but did have 1 year of head coaching Fordham college.
Roy Williams (UNC) 2021 - Hired Hubert Davis, Williams' assistant
Jim Calhoun (UCONN) 2012 - Hired Kevin Ollie, Calhoun's assistant
This post was edited on 9/24/25 at 4:31 pm
Posted on 9/24/25 at 6:06 pm to mckibaj
I think GOAT Jr had a great press conference. The biggest takeaway as fans were two things.
1. This staff is the best in the country. Complete continuity.
2. This year’s team has a very tough schedule, especially early, but we have the talent to beat anyone we play.
1. This staff is the best in the country. Complete continuity.
2. This year’s team has a very tough schedule, especially early, but we have the talent to beat anyone we play.
Posted on 9/24/25 at 6:43 pm to TigerProwl24
Bruce took over a terrible Auburn program, took us to two final fours, and won 5 championships. He earned the right for SP to take over. I’m willing to give SP 4 years and see how it goes.
Posted on 9/24/25 at 6:57 pm to bird35
quote:
He earned the right for SP to take over. I’m willing to give SP 4 years and see how it goes.
On the first part sure. On the second part hell no. If we don't maintain after the first two years it'll be time to make a move. No reason to let him run things into the ground due to sentimentality.
It's not like Steven is taking over some huge rebuild job, he's got a good roster. If he's not doing well after the first two years he is unlikely to do so.
Posted on 9/24/25 at 7:50 pm to auyushu
Yeah hypothetically if we went like 18-14 both years with 1 NCAAT first round bounce and 1 NIT appearance I would hot seat him entering year 3 even though that’s historically good for Auburn hoops lol
He’s set up to where we ought to be good every year, making the tourney every year and top 6-7 SEC. Short-ish leash
He’s set up to where we ought to be good every year, making the tourney every year and top 6-7 SEC. Short-ish leash
Posted on 9/24/25 at 8:15 pm to auyushu
quote:
No reason to let him run things into the ground due to sentimentality.
The voice reason is here.
Appreciate this.
Posted on 9/24/25 at 9:09 pm to jt33
quote:
you also have to be fair and admit Steven is one of the top assistant coaches in the country. If we just hired the top assistant from Duke or Florida that would probably be seen as a good hire.
Well I don't know that SP is a top assistant. All any of us know is that his coaching career only consists of working for his very good head coach dad. If his last name was not Pearl, we'd all be asking why not go after a proven coach. I'm still optimistic but he has a ways to go before he can get out of his daddy's shadow.
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