As Auburn prepares for a high-stakes matchup against No. 6 Purdue, the program is also grappling with a heartbreaking loss that has shaken the Auburn family and the broader sports community.
Coach Steven Pearl took time during his Thursday press conference to reflect on the life and legacy of longtime sports broadcaster and Auburn beat reporter, who was found dead earlier this week. Her passing, along with that of her husband in what authorities are reporting as a murder-suicide, has left a deep void - not just in the Auburn community, but across the state’s sports landscape.
“She was a beacon. She was a luminary,” Pearl said, his voice heavy with emotion.
“She just lit up a room every time she walked into it. She was what we should all aspire to be on a day-to-day basis based on how she treated other people.”
That kind of praise isn’t handed out lightly - especially in this business. But for those who knew her, worked alongside her, or simply watched her on the sidelines, it rings true.
Her career took her through some of the most respected local sports media outlets in the region - WAKA in Montgomery, WLTZ NBC38 in Columbus, and Comcast Sports Southeast in Atlanta. Whether she was covering high school football under the Friday night lights or tracking Auburn’s road to the Final Four, she brought the same energy, professionalism, and passion to every assignment.
“She was a true professional in every sense of the word,” Pearl said. “She loved covering sports in this state - high school, college, men’s, women’s, whatever it was.
She was on the run with us to our first Final Four in 2019. She was in Kansas City and Minneapolis, and hell, I think she was more excited to be there than we were.”
That’s the kind of presence she had - someone who didn’t just report on the games, but who lived them, breathed them, and brought them to life for fans. Pearl noted how her daily interactions with the team, and with his father, Coach Bruce Pearl, revealed just how much pride she took in her work. “She just did it at such a high level,” he said.
She was 38. Her husband was 41.
The tragedy is compounded by the fact that they leave behind a young son, Constantine, who was found unharmed in the home. In the wake of the news, Pearl shared a GoFundMe page on his social media - a fund dedicated to supporting Constantine as he grows up without his parents.
And in a powerful gesture that speaks to the tight-knit nature of the Auburn community, Pearl made it clear that Constantine will always have a place within the program.
“I hope her parents know that if he needs to come into our gym, he’s always welcome,” Pearl said. “He’s always got a ticket to the games.”
It’s a heartbreaking story, and one that’s left a community reeling. But it’s also a reminder of the impact one person can have - not just through their work, but through the way they treat others. As Pearl put it, “She made this world a better place and she made us all better people, so I’m going to miss her a lot.”
In a profession that can often be about the next game, the next headline, or the next big moment, her legacy is a powerful reminder that it’s the people behind the stories who matter most.