Steven Pearl Set for Full-Circle Moment as Auburn Heads to Knoxville
When Auburn steps onto the court in Knoxville this Saturday, it won’t just be another SEC showdown-it’ll be a deeply personal milestone for Steven Pearl. For the first time in his coaching career, Pearl will face his alma mater, Tennessee, as a head coach. And while he insists the emotions won’t be overwhelming, there’s no denying the significance of this moment in his journey.
Pearl’s ties to Tennessee run deep. He played five seasons for the Volunteers under his father, Bruce Pearl, from 2007 to 2011.
Since joining Auburn’s staff in 2014, he’s returned to Thompson-Boling Arena seven times as an assistant. But this weekend is different.
This time, he’s the one calling the shots.
“Everything’s connected,” Pearl said Friday, reflecting on just how much of his life traces back to his time in Knoxville. And he means everything. His college basketball career, his first job after graduation, even meeting his wife-all of it ties back to his days in orange and white.
“If I didn’t play basketball at Tennessee, I don’t meet my wife. I don’t have my daughter,” Pearl said.
“I went to Nashville to visit a former teammate, Jordan Howell, and a buddy of mine, Bubba South-whose parents might actually be sitting next to our bench on Saturday, which will be cool. Bubba was the one working out at Brittany’s gym and said, ‘You need to come meet this girl.’
So it’s all connected.”
On the court, Pearl’s role at Tennessee was modest-he appeared in 101 games and averaged 1.2 points in 8.4 minutes per game. But his experience in Knoxville went far beyond the box score. After graduating, he stuck around for over three years, working in medical sales and laying the foundation for his future in coaching.
“That all correlated to me understanding how to recruit, you know what I mean?” he said, drawing a clear line between his early professional life and the skills he brings to the bench now.
And while Pearl can joke about still waiting on his letterman’s jacket, he doesn’t mince words about how much his time at Tennessee shaped him.
“My years there were some of the best of my life personally,” he said. “Because it shaped the man I am today, and a lot of things kind of fell in place for me to be where I’m at, in this chair.”
There’s also no sugarcoating the way his time in Knoxville ended. When the coaching staff was let go, it was a turning point-but one that ultimately led him to Auburn, where he’s helped build a perennial contender alongside his father.
“If they hadn’t fired our (expletive), we wouldn’t be here,” Pearl said. “So, like, the best thing that’s ever happened to me is being in Auburn, too. I can’t thank them enough for everything that happened in Knoxville.”
Saturday’s game will be about more than just basketball. For Steven Pearl, it’s a return to where it all started-personally, professionally, and emotionally.
And while he’ll be locked in on the game plan, it’s hard to ignore the full-circle nature of this moment. Knoxville helped shape him.
Now, he returns as a head coach, ready to lead his team into a building that still holds a piece of his heart.