Steven Pearl to Take Reins at Auburn, Continuing Family Legacy in College Basketball
Auburn announced Monday that Steven Pearl will serve as the program’s interim head coach for the 2024-25 season following the suspension of his father, Bruce Pearl, due to NCAA violations. This marks the latest father-son handoff in college basketball history, echoing transitions seen at programs like Alabama-Birmingham and Davidson.
The move comes after Bruce Pearl was suspended for two games and placed on probation for three years by the NCAA for violating recruiting rules and providing impermissible benefits. Steven Pearl, previously the associate head coach at Auburn, will now lead the team while his father fulfills his NCAA-mandated obligations. This isn’t the first time a pearl has stepped into a prominent coaching role, building on a family tradition within the sport.
Throughout college basketball history, several programs have experienced a direct transition from father to son at the helm. One notable example is at Alabama-Birmingham (UAB), where Gene Bartow coached the Blazers from 1979-1996, compiling a record of 350-193. his son, Murry Bartow, then took over from 1996-2002, achieving a 103-83 record before resigning to pursue other coaching opportunities.
“After consultation over the last few days with many of my friends in the basketball community I felt it was in my best interests to pursue other opportunities within the coaching profession,” Murry Bartow said in a 2002 statement.
More recently, Davidson college saw a similar transition. Bob McKillop led the Wildcats for 33 seasons (1989-2022), amassing a 634-380 record and coaching future NBA star Steph Curry. Upon his retirement in june 2022, his son, Matt McKillop, assumed the head coaching position. As of september 2025, Matt McKillop holds a 48-49 overall record at Davidson, having previously served as an assistant coach under his father for 14 seasons. the Wildcats finished 6-12 in the Atlantic 10 last season, reaching the second round of the conference tournament.
