When Auburn men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl stepped aside on Monday, just weeks before the season started, it cleared the way for his associate head coach to take the reins.

That associate head coach just happens to be his son, Steven Pearl .

Steven joined the Auburn staff in 2014 as an assistant strength and conditioning coach, before becoming director of basketball operations in 2015 and an assistant in 2017. Before that, he was a medical sales rep.

Because Steven has had a coaching title for less than a decade and has only ever worked for his dad, fans online have been quick to scream nepotism.

“Bruce Pearl is a selfish SOB,” wrote one Michigan fan. “Retiring so soon before the season starts so Auburn can’t do a true coaching search and your son can take over as HC. Nepotis

See Full Page