Steven Pearl wants to silence pushback to his promotion to Auburn head coach after Bruce Pearl's retirement

Steven Pearl knows the narrative of how and why he's the head coach of an Auburn basketball program that just made the Final Four a year ago. A former Tennessee forward turned medical sales professional turned two-hour, sports-talk radio show host on the Tennessee Sports Network turned assistant coach turned defensive coordinator turned … head coach of the reigning SEC regular-season champions? It's a tongue-twister that just doesn't happen in this era of college basketball, where some razor-sharp basketball minds spend decades toiling in anonymity without earning an opportunity like this.

"I'm fully understanding of the fact that my situation is so unique and so much different than anyone else's," Pearl told CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein on Inside College Basketball Now. "I understand that may rub people the wrong way. I get that the main reason why I had this job is because of who my dad is. But we also have an unbelievable staff who is deserving of this opportunity. It's way less about me and more about them."

Will it work? That's the million-dollar question for an Auburn program where expectations have skyrocketed in the past decade. When Bruce Pearl took the gig in 2014, only TCU was in worse shape at the high-major ranks. Nowadays, Auburn can lose seven of its top eight players from the best team in school history, have its coach abruptly retire and still maintain expectations to compete for a SEC title again.

The big-picture stuff is daunting, but the day-to-day grind for Bruce Pearl's son, Steven Pearl, has completely changed after his dad's decision to step down. It's Talking Season in college basketball circles, and Steven Pearl isn't immune. Steven Pearl's phone has been buzzing off the hook, fielding calls from Auburn higher-ups, donors, players, parents and decision-makers. Recruiting doesn't stop, either. Oh, and Auburn scrimmaged Oklahoma State just hours after taking part in SEC Media Days last Wednesday. Steven Pearl is a self-described "numbers nerd" who wants to live on Synergy Sports, but he suddenly has a jam-packed schedule with way more than just basketball X's and O's to tackle.

"I didn't feel as prepared as I usually do," Steven Pearl said. "As an assistant, all you do is watch film. You feel like you can have a great grasp of what they're doing. Part of it is we only had 18 minutes of game film. For me, that's an adjustment. That's something I have to adjust in my schedule to watch more film, break down more film to help our guys be more successful."

Who is Steven Pearl? What you need to know about Auburn's new basketball coach after Bruce Pearl's retirement

Kyle Boone

Auburn, which enters ranked 20th in the country, fell to Oklahoma State in overtime of that exhibition, flashing both what makes the Tigers so tantalizing and also a potential mercurial group. Auburn's defense, predictably, looked shoddy in its first showing without the brilliant Dylan Cardwell and Johni Broome, but the offensive potency of Tahaad Pettiford and Keyshawn Hall will give defenses trouble all year. Those two killer lefties can get isolation buckets in their sleep, but Steven Pearl was eager to get back onto the practice floor after spending hours in the film room.

"I have 74 clips to show the guys today," Steven Pearl said. "I think a lot of the mistakes we made are correctable. It wasn't a lack of effort, it wasn't a lack of energy, it was just a lack of attention to detail as far as knowing which way these guys like to drive."

Hall and Pettiford will drive this team, but Pearl has built a roster with real juice on the margins. Division II transfer Elyjah Freeman is a legitimate NBA prospect. Texas Tech transfer Kevin Overton is a two-way veteran guard who will help this club. KeShawn Murphy is a fantastic connective big man who can pass, dribble and shoot. 

Even freshman forward Sebastian Williams-Adams immediately showed why he's going to be a major part of this rotation with a six-point, nine-rebound showing against the Pokes.

"Just continue to be so impressed with him," Steven Pearl said. "He's just a physical specimen. I love what he brings from a toughness and energy standpoint. He's just got to find ways to have his motor run the entire time he's out there and not take a few possessions off. He's going to be an important X-Factor for our group."

The vision of another tournament team is clear and obvious, but this new-look group has to coalesce under a first-time head coach.

It's a massive undertaking and good or bad, Auburn will be a national storyline because of Bruce Pearl's last-second decision to retire before accepting a job as analyst on CBS Sports, and all but hand his son the job.

Is he ready for it?

"All the things you hear from your head coaching buddies are true," Steven Pearl said. "It's a little bit lonelier at the top because there's not a lot of people that sit in that seat."

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