S. Pearl: Auburn planned for my dad's retirement

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Bruce Pearl's status past period was a astonishment to his Auburn squad and adjacent his lad Steven, who succeeded his begetter arsenic the Tigers' caller caput coach.

But Pearl's announcement was not a daze to everyone.

Steven Pearl said helium didn't officially cognize astir his father's determination until the time earlier the Tigers' archetypal practice. Bruce Pearl, however, had told Auburn diversion manager John Cohen years agone that helium had been reasoning astir retirement.

"Three years ago, [my father] told him, like, 'Listen, I don't cognize however overmuch longer I'm going to bash this,'" Steven said Wednesday astatine SEC media day. "So [Cohen] has been actively, successful his mind, being prepared for this for 3 years present and going done each the antithetic options of, 'Do I bring successful an extracurricular coaching staff? Do I bring successful a big-name feline oregon ticker this grow? Does the unit turn arsenic a portion and enactment unneurotic and not spell chasing different adjunct jobs, not spell chasing different coaching jobs?' And helium yet felt similar the unit had earned the close and the accidental to proceed to determination this happening forward."

Bruce Pearl's status followed months of speculation that helium would permission coaching to prosecute Alabama's unfastened U.S. Senate spot that had been vacated by Tommy Tuberville, the erstwhile Auburn shot manager who is present moving for politician of the state.

Steven said the past 3 weeks person been, arsenic expected, a frenzy. But helium besides said his clip with his begetter -- helium played for his begetter astatine Tennessee and spent much than a decennary arsenic his adjunct -- helped hole him for the relation astatine Auburn, which is ranked 20th successful the Associated Press apical 25 preseason poll.

"As acold arsenic erstwhile it deed me, it didn't deed maine until I showed up astatine the gym and [my father] was filming his goodbye video and [Cohen] pulled maine speech and helium was like, 'Hey, you're the guy,'" Steven said. "So past I was like, 'All right, present we go. Let's go.' It each happened truly fast, but I'm acceptable due to the fact that I spent 38 years watching [my father] bash this."

Steven said the continuity of the unit and the stableness of his squad has eased his transition. His unit has a combined 40 years of coaching acquisition astatine Auburn nether Bruce, who is present an ambassador for the university. Every subordinate decided to enactment contempt having a 30-day model to participate the portal and transfer, according to NCAA rules connected coaching changes.

Tahaad Pettiford, a prima for a Tigers squad that reached the Final Four for the 2nd clip successful squad past past season, said the players recovered retired astir Bruce Pearl's determination erstwhile they each received a substance connection to instrumentality to the gym the time of the announcement.

Pettiford said helium ne'er erstwhile considered transferring aft Steven was announced arsenic caput coach. But Pettiford is besides the lone remaining subordinate connected the roster who played for Auburn successful the team's nonaccomplishment to Florida successful the Final Four.

"It's decidedly thing caller for maine coming into this with 10 caller guys," helium said. "It's decidedly antithetic from being the youngest feline connected the squad past twelvemonth to being 1 of the older guys connected this year's team.

"I'm conscionable trying to springiness them the worldly that I learned past twelvemonth and trying to walk that down to the caller guys, particularly immoderate of the freshmen, and trying to springiness them the blueprint of what we did past twelvemonth and however we were successful."