Bruce Pearl finally admits what we all knew about Auburn hiring his son

Bruce Pearl didn't sidestep the accusations surrounding how his son landed the head coaching job at Auburn. In fact, the former Tigers coach openly acknowledged that nepotism played a role in Steven Pearl’s shoo-in as his replacement.

Steven Pearl is in the midst of his first season leading the Tigers after taking over for his father before the start of the year. But the road has been extremely rocky to say the least. Auburn enters the final stretch of the regular season at 16-14 and hovering on the NCAA Tournament bubble.

Bruce Pearl stepped down following a highly successful run with the program. He compiled a 244-123 record during his tenure and guided Auburn to a Final Four appearance while capturing the SEC regular-season title last season. Shortly after Auburn finished a 32-6 campaign, Steven Pearl was elevated from associate head coach to the program’s top job.

During a recent appearance on Dan Dakich’s show, Pearl admitted the criticism surrounding the hire was justified.