Auburn introduces head coach Steven Pearl: 'Rise to the moment'

AUBURN, Ala. – With his family to his right and his staff to his left, tears in his eyes and determination in his voice, Steven Pearl embraced the challenge of taking over for his hall of fame father as Auburn’s new men’s basketball head coach.

“I will go to work every single day with the focus and the determination to reward you all for allowing me the opportunity of a lifetime to lead this program,” Pearl said in his opening remarks Wednesday at the Woltosz Center. “I am here to rise to the moment.”

 During his first 11 seasons on the Plains on Bruce Pearl’s staff, Steven Pearl rose steadily from assistant strength coach to director of operations, then to assistant coach, defensive coordinator and associate head coach, helping Auburn win five SEC championships and make two Final Four appearances.

“That journey has shaped how I lead, how I listen, and how I build,” he said. “It’s given me a front row seat to the principles that have made this program so successful, and it’s given me the perspective I need to carry them forward.

“I fully understand the weight of this opportunity. I embrace it with gratitude, humility and resolve. I know it comes with a tremendous amount of responsibility. It’s a different level of expectation and it’s a gold standard that Bruce Pearl has brought to this fine institution and this fine basketball program.”

Calling his father “one of the best basketball coaches in the history of this game,” Steven paused for a moment to gather his emotions while paying tribute to Bruce Pearl.

“The five years I played for you, the 11 years I’ve been under your wing, have been some of the best years of my life,” Steven said, recounting their combined 367 wins, 18 NCAA tournament victories, seven SEC championships and two Final Fours at Tennessee and Auburn. “I can put a number on those accomplishments, but I can’t begin to quantify what I’ve learned from you to prepare me for this moment.”

Pearl announced the promotions of Ira Bowman to associate head coach and Matt Gatens from general manager to assistant coach. 

“This staff has been with BP for a very long time,” said Pearl, pointing to his assistant coaches. “This staff is a big reason why this program has reached unprecedented heights. I recognize following the greatest coach in Auburn basketball history, a coach who’s dominated this league for the last eight years, is a daunting task, but what gives me tremendous confidence is those men right over there.”

Pearl thanked the former players who helped Auburn become one of college basketball’s top programs, many of whom reached out to congratulate him on his new role.

“I’m not sitting up here if it weren’t for the sacrifices and the buy-in from every player who’s been here over the last 11 years,” he said. “I hope they take this moment as a celebration of the accomplishments that they had while they were at Auburn.”

Taking over after Auburn’s second Final Four run in the past six NCAA tournaments, Steven Pearl plans to maintain the winning formula he learned from Bruce Pearl. 

“You’re going to see a lot of the same things that you’ve seen over the last 11 years that have guided us,” he said, “because they’ve delivered results.”

Concluding his remarks, Steven Pearl ended where he began, thanking the Pearl family and the Auburn family, including university and athletic leadership, coaches, student-athletes, students, donors and alumni.

“That’s what makes Auburn the loveliest village on the Plains,” he said. “I started my coaching career here, I asked my beautiful wife to marry me here, our daughter Lainey was born here, and now I’m blessed to land my dream job here. 

“To everyone watching and everyone in this room, I give you my word that I will pour every ounce of my being into every facet of this program to help sustain and build on the success that we have accomplished together.”

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer