Auburn coach Steven Pearl tipped off a new Tigers era when his team defeated the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats 95-90 in overtime on Monday evening. Pearl took over the reins of the team after his father, Bruce Pearl, abruptly retired before the season started.
The younger Pearl was the associate head coach for the past two years before taking over as the Tigers’ head coach in September.
Steven Pearl Takes Shot at Fired Hugh Freeze
During his postgame news conference after the game against the Wildcats, Pearl took an indirect shot at former Tigers football coach Hugh Freeze, who was fired on Sunday after underperforming since being hired in 2023. During his two-and-a-half-year tenure, Freeze had a record of 15-19 overall and had started the current season with a 4-5 record.
“I know Auburn fans are tired of being told to be patient. So we’re going to get our a** to work,” Pearl said.
Steven Pearl, after Auburn’s overtime win, with a joke related to Hugh Freeze
“I know Auburn fans are being tired of being told to be patient, so, we’re gonna get our asses to work”
Followed by a “You’re close, Steven” 🎥 @Julianna_Reich pic.twitter.com/YD84gvAc72
— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) November 4, 2025
Under Bruce Pearl, the Tigers had reached the Final Four last season, for the second time during the coach’s tenure, but have been unable to make the final step to the national championship game, a yardstick that will be used to measure his son’s tenure as head coach.
Earlier in the day, Auburn athletic director John Cohen also took a shot at the departed Freeze, who had urged patience despite results worsening as the season progressed. “I know it’s been talked about how we’re close, right?” Cohen said. “I’m not going to say that we’re close. Close doesn’t matter. Getting it done matters.”
The win against Bethune-Cookman heralded Auburn’s 61st consecutive win against non-conference opposition, but it did not come easy, with the Wildcats forcing overtime after leading with 90 seconds of regulation time remaining.
During his postgame news conference, Pearl shrugged off the scare that the Wildcats gave his team, who were overwhelming favorites before the game.
“As soon as we sat down, they all looked at me and I just smiled at them,” Steven Pearl said. “I was just like, this is awesome. We get to play free basketball. We get to play five more minutes of Auburn basketball and that was the only five minutes of the game we played Auburn basketball.”
Pearl will have a chance to show off his mettle when the Tigers play against the No. 2 Houston Cougars and No. 7 Michigan Wolverines at neutral sites later this month as Auburn’s schedule ramps up significantly.