It seems that Steven Pearl hasn't changed his opinion of the Tennessee Volunteers.
Pearl, an assistant coach on the staff of his father Bruce at Auburn, joined the Auburn radio network after the Tigers' win over South Carolina on Friday evening in the SEC tournament quarterfinals.
With the Tigers coming off an impressive 86-55 win over 5 seed South Carolina, the conversation turned to Auburn's next opponent in Mississippi State, who defeated Tennessee 73-56 in Friday's first quarterfinal. Instead of talking about the Bulldogs, Pearl didn't hesitate to throw shade at his former team.
"I was walking to the game today and some Tennessee fans asked me if I was going to a barbecue, trying to throw a little shade," Pearl said. "And that's what we watched, Mississippi State barbecued Tennessee."
Pearl is referencing the fans' quips relating to the infamous barbecue at Bruce Pearl's home in 2008 when he was coaching at Tennessee, which ultimately contributed to his dismissal from Tennessee in 2011 along with subsequent additional allegations.
Pearl played for the Vols from 2007-11, where Tennessee made two Sweet Sixteen appearances and a trip to the Elite Eight. He's been at Auburn for a decade now, where his father has taken the Tigers from an afterthought to a perennial tournament team and a 2019 Final Four participant.
Pearl had no love for Tennessee when the program let his father go, and it seems not much has changed over the years. However, Bruce's repeated breaking of the rules compounded by lying ultimately put Tennessee between a rock and a hard place.
Tennessee will find out on Sunday where and who they'll play in the NCAA tournament. And you can bet dollars to donuts that Steven Pearl will likely be watching and cheering against them. Thirteen years later, he apparently can't help himself.
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