Dsc07817 Scaled E1760545520670 — Auburn coach Steven Pearl at the 2025 SEC Tip Off event (Caleb Turrentine / The Bama Buzz)

It has been an eventful offseason for Steven Pearl, who has taken over the Auburn men’s basketball program after his dad, Bruce Pearl, retired from the head coaching gig less than a month ago.

The new Coach Pearl took the podium Wednesday morning for his first SEC Media Days, speaking more about the coaching transition while making sure everyone knows the standard on The Plains isn’t changing.

“John (Cohen) pulled me aside and was like, ‘Hey, you’re the guy.’ I’m like, ‘All right, here we go.’ It all happened really fast. But I’m ready because I’ve spent 38 years watching (Bruce Pearl) do this at a very, very high level… One of the reasons why I believe I’m ready
for this opportunity is because I’ve watched him. I don’t think there’s anyone better in the history of the game as far as rebuilding programs. You’ve seen the things that he does in Auburn. It’s everything outside of basketball that he’s elite at, in addition to being a great coach.”
Steven Pearl

Keep reading to see what else Pearl had to say during Wednesday’s media appearance + find out more about what to expect from Auburn this season.

‘Auburn is still a team to be reckoned with’

2025 SEC Tip Off (Caleb Turrentine / The Bama Buzz)

Auburn had historic success under Bruce Pearl and Tiger fans are hoping the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree when it comes to on-court success.

In the last eight seasons, Auburn has reached No. 1 in the AP Poll twice and made two trips to the Final Four. Now, that success is a new standard and Steven Pearl hopes he can be the one to get the Tigers over that final hump.

“They’re looking forward to the opportunity to show that Auburn is still a team to be reckoned with. It’s a group that has continuously gotten better every single week. The energy in practice has been phenomenal.”
Steven Pearl

Everyone knows the Tigers will have to find a way to replace Johni Broome but Pearl believes he has the right pieces in place through both returning + new faces.

And that new roster has been thrown into the fire a little bit earlier than usual with the coaching change taking over the offseason.

“One of the unique things about what happened in September, we had to go through some adversity way sooner than 99% of college basketball teams had to this year… That’s going to help this group play tight-knit and together, which is a blessing in disguise with B.P. stepping down. To see them stay together through a difficult situation gives me a lot of hope and encouragement for the future.”
Steven Pearl

Three of the players Pearl will be leaning on heavily early and often during the 2025-26 season were in Mountain Brook with the coach on Wednesday.

Tahaad Pettiford, a preseason first-team All-SEC selection, is expected to take on an even bigger role during his second season with the Tigers. The guard initially declared for the NBA Draft but decided to return to Auburn for at least one more season.

He’s the leading scorer of the returning players from last year’s Auburn team and will now step into a leadership role.

“I just try to tell the freshman that you are going to have your ups and downs in college. That was something I learned. It’s just how you fight back from it. I told the guys that they can talk to me anytime they need to, if they have anything on their mind or if they need to get something off of their chest. I can be someone they can call anytime. Just to have a space that they feel free, because basketball is going to take a lot of their time up.”
Tahaad Pettiford

Preseason rankings

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Auburn came in at No. 20 in the preseason Associated Press poll, the sixth time in the last eight years the Tigers have been in the top 25 entering the season.

Last year, the Tigers spent almost the entire season in the top 5, finishing No. 4 in the final rankings. The No. 20 ranking is the team’s lowest mark since Jan. 1, 2024.

But the team will have plenty of chances to move up those rankings, especially early in the year with a non-conference slate that includes No. 1 + No. 2. Here’s some of the games to circle on the calendar before SEC play begins: