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Bruce Pearl is the greatest carpetbagger of the 21st century
Posted on 9/23/25 at 9:01 am
Posted on 9/23/25 at 9:01 am
Juiced Auburn for over a decade, realized they’ll never win it all so he bailed and set little Stevie up for life.
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Posted on 9/23/25 at 9:02 am to AlextheBodacious
quote:
set little Stevie up for life
or 2 years whichever comes first
Posted on 9/23/25 at 9:07 am to AlextheBodacious
quote:
set little Stevie up for life
Happened to catch the Auburn beat guy saying, "I think it's important for us to understand that this is exactly what Bruce wanted."
Posted on 9/23/25 at 9:09 am to AlextheBodacious
Auburn has to hope it's not a John Thompson situation. It is usually tough for the son to follow the legendary dad at the same job.
Posted on 9/23/25 at 9:12 am to AlextheBodacious
I thought Bruce had political aspirations and was considering running for some position, this may be the start of that.
Posted on 9/23/25 at 9:14 am to kywildcatfanone
quote:
or 2 years whichever comes first
Tony Barbee got 4 years and he went 49–75 so I don't see them moving on that quickly.
Posted on 9/23/25 at 9:35 am to AlextheBodacious
I'm sure his son can live up to the legacy of underachieving in the NCAA tourney.
Posted on 9/23/25 at 9:41 am to SEC Doctor
The hiring of Steven, who has never played or coached for any collegiate or professional athletic organization in his entire life not led by his father, is an embarrassment to Auburn and the SEC as a basketball conference. It is AU essentially proclaiming that they are nothing without Bruce Pearl. Despite spending 100+ million on facilities and the significant buy in by the fan base in AU as a legitimate basketball school, they revert to honoring the past over building the future.
And what is honestly sad to me is that Bruce, in doing what he thinks is helping his son, is actually setting him up to fail. Look at why Bruce Pearl was such a great coach. Decades of grit rising from a student manager at Boston College to an assistant for a decade at Stanford and Iowa, then another decade + as a small school HC at Southern Indiana and UW Milwaukee to prepare him to be ready for Tennessee and AU.
Sure, give your son a head start by calling in a favor with another HC and get him a GA job, but let him learn the game with a challenging path.
This level of nepotism is damn near unprecedented in the modern college game, especially at a Final 4 caliber program. This is a public university with a 100+ million athletic budget, not Dad's insurance agency.
And what is honestly sad to me is that Bruce, in doing what he thinks is helping his son, is actually setting him up to fail. Look at why Bruce Pearl was such a great coach. Decades of grit rising from a student manager at Boston College to an assistant for a decade at Stanford and Iowa, then another decade + as a small school HC at Southern Indiana and UW Milwaukee to prepare him to be ready for Tennessee and AU.
Sure, give your son a head start by calling in a favor with another HC and get him a GA job, but let him learn the game with a challenging path.
This level of nepotism is damn near unprecedented in the modern college game, especially at a Final 4 caliber program. This is a public university with a 100+ million athletic budget, not Dad's insurance agency.
This post was edited on 9/23/25 at 9:49 am
Posted on 9/23/25 at 9:43 am to AlextheBodacious
Bruce can do what he wants. He did a hell of job with building the program up.
Posted on 9/23/25 at 9:48 am to mckibaj
quote:
Bruce can do what he wants. He did a hell of job with building the program up.
What a defeatist attitude. "We were nothing before him so he and the AD have every right to let him tear it back down just as fast with his unqualified son."
Posted on 9/23/25 at 9:53 am to MillerLiteTime
quote:
What a defeatist attitude. "We were nothing before him so he and the AD have every right to let him tear it back down just as fast with his unqualified son."
I don’t see it that way. I see it as Bruce knows what he is doing. He’s not leaving the program in a bad spot with his son. We all expected his son to take over way before this week.
Posted on 9/23/25 at 9:59 am to mckibaj
quote:
Bruce can do what he wants. He did a hell of job with building the program up.
100% this…. Bruce Pearl is a builder of programs. Most Aggies would give their right arm to have him coach at Texas A&M!
Posted on 9/23/25 at 9:59 am to paperwasp
quote:
Happened to catch the Auburn beat guy saying, "I think it's important for us to understand that this is exactly what Bruce wanted."
I mean, it's been a not so well kept secret that this has been the general plan for a few years now, it's only news to those that don't follow Auburn basketball.
I completely understand those that don't think its a good idea, that's perfectly fine, but it isn't surprising or some contrived scheme. Since he got named Assistant Head Coach a few years back, its been said/assumed he was being groomed to take over. I think everyone thought probably next year or the year after, so timeline got bumped up.
This post was edited on 9/23/25 at 10:01 am
Posted on 9/23/25 at 10:05 am to AlextheBodacious
It was always going to be Steven taking over. He’s a talented scout and a great recruiter. He knows Auburn well and has a relationship with the big donors. It makes sense to just give him the keys and let him run with what Bruce built.
All that to say, he could still fail miserably and AU will be hiring the next big mid major name in 2 years.
All that to say, he could still fail miserably and AU will be hiring the next big mid major name in 2 years.
Posted on 9/23/25 at 10:24 am to mtb010
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I thought Bruce had political aspirations
Would only add to the carpetbaggery
Posted on 9/23/25 at 10:27 am to MillerLiteTime
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What a defeatist attitude. "We were nothing before him so he and the AD have every right to let him tear it back down just as fast with his unqualified son."
I think Bruce will still be involved in some way. He probably just doesn't have the energy or drive to do it full time anymore. He's going to give Steven all the advice he needs to succeed. He doesn't want Steven's legacy at Auburn to be a failure, because that would affect Bruce's legacy as well.
This post was edited on 9/23/25 at 10:36 am
Posted on 9/23/25 at 10:54 am to au4you
quote:
It was always going to be Steven taking over. He’s a talented scout and a great recruiter.
I agree, but if Bruce retired at the FF press conference and that night they announced the hiring of a recruiter from from another school who has never been the head coach anywhere, and then you find out he was a medical sales representative 10 years ago, what would your immediate reaction be?
And I say this as someone who roots heavily for a former math teacher, but you have to admit that's a pretty messed up scenario when you step back from it a bit.
Posted on 9/23/25 at 11:05 am to paperwasp
quote:
This level of nepotism is damn near unprecedented in the modern college game, especially at a Final 4 caliber program. This is a public university with a 100+ million athletic budget, not Dad's insurance agency.
Pretty sure this is the exact same thing the Houston HC is planning right now.
Posted on 9/23/25 at 11:14 am to MillerLiteTime
I agree with this take. Terrible decision by Auburn.
Posted on 9/23/25 at 11:27 am to mckibaj
In no way would I want my program to be run by a person learning on the job how to be a head coach. Great recruiter/scout, fine. But until you have to be the one making all of the decisions (gameday and otherwise) you just don't know. I would want someone that has at least had the experience of running a program at some level.
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