Steven Pearl explains why Auburn winning NIT was ‘extremely valuable’
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Steven Pearl had a bumpy first year as Auburn‘s head coach as he took over the program his father, Bruce, had led for over a decade. The Tigers ended up missing the NCAA Tournament but qualified for the NIT, which they ended up winning.
Obviously, the goal every year for the Tigers is to return to the Big Dance and eventually win a national championship. During SEC Tipoff on Tuesday, though, Pearl discussed why the extra time with his team during its run through the tournament was beneficial.
“I’m not trying to be selfish, but it was incredibly valuable for me as a first-year head coach to be able to have those reps,” Pearl said. “You can’t really listen to the outside noise and the things that people are gonna write and say about what we did. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’m glad we did it. I thought it was really important.”
Pearl credited his team for remaining focused during the NIT, specifically when facing a halftime deficit against South Alabama in the first round. Hours beforehand, KeyShawn Murphy opted out, ending his college career.
“I thought it was really important as a first-year head coach to teach our guys a valuable lesson in life. When something doesn’t go your way, you can’t just quit. You got to see things through. And I thought the group that stuck together at the end … came through, and I thought they had a lot of fun those last four games.”
Auburn’s roster will look a little different in 2026-27. But Tahaad Pettiford and Kevin Overton return to a team that added five players from the transfer portal, including Adam Olsen (South Alabama), Kolby King (Utah State), and Thomas Dowd (Troy).
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
