The Auburn Tigers will have a new assistant coach on the bench this season, and he comes from the Ivy League with a lot of experience.

The Tigers announced this week that Ira Bowman, a former Penn assistant and ex-NBA player, had been hired to join Bruce Pearl’s staff.

In a release from the school, Pearl said he was thrilled to have Bowman on board, saying he thinks Bowman will do great things at Auburn:

“When you’re hiring a staff, it’s all about surrounding yourself with people better than you,” Pearl said. “Who can help these kids realize their full potential on and off the court? Who do I want to walk into a living room with and say to a parent that these are the men I want to surround your son with?

“Ira Bowman is a former Ivy League Player of the Year, a self-made NBA player, a great father and a true role model. Even though he is from the east, I think he fits the profile of an Auburn man to a T.”

Bowman spent the last six seasons as a Penn assistant. Last year, the Quakers finished with a 24-9 record, an Ivy League title and an NCAA Tournament appearance.