Steven โคPearl to Take Reins at Auburn, Continuing Family Legacy in College Basketball
Auburn announced Monday that Steven Pearl will serve as theโค program’s interimโค head coach for the 2024-25 โคseason following the suspensionโฃ of his father, Bruce Pearl, due to NCAA โขviolations. This marks the latest father-son handoff in college basketball โขhistory, โechoing transitions seen at programs like Alabama-Birmingham andโ Davidson.
The move comes after Bruce Pearl was suspended for two games and placed on probation โfor 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 โคteam while his father fulfills his NCAA-mandated obligations. This isn’t the first time a pearlโฃ hasโค stepped into a prominent coaching role, building on aโค family tradition within the sport.
Throughout collegeโ basketball history, several programs have experienced a direct transition from father to son atโฃ the helm. One notable example isโค at Alabama-Birmingham (UAB), where Gene Bartow coached theโ Blazers from 1979-1996, compiling a record of 350-193. hisโ son, Murry Bartow,โ then took overโ from โค1996-2002, achieving a 103-83 record beforeโข resigning to pursue other coaching opportunities.
“After consultation over the โlast few days with many of my friends โฃin the basketball community I feltโ it was in my best interests to pursue other opportunities within the coaching profession,” Murry Bartow โคsaid in a 2002 statement.
More recently, Davidson college saw a similar transition. Bobโ McKillop led the Wildcats for 33 โseasons (1989-2022), amassing a 634-380 record and coaching future NBA star Steph โCurry. Upon his retirement in june 2022, his son, Matt McKillop, assumed the head coaching position. As ofโ september 2025, Matt McKillop holds a 48-49 overall record at Davidson, โhaving โpreviously served as an assistant coach under his father โfor 14 seasons. the Wildcats finished 6-12 in the Atlantic 10 last season, reaching the secondโค round of the conference tournament.