Auburn Coach Steven Pearl Addresses Player Discipline Issues

Pearl outlines his approach to holding players accountable amid a season of disciplinary problems for the Tigers.

Mar. 2, 2026 at 3:07pm

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Auburn head coach Steven Pearl addressed the team's ongoing disciplinary issues, stating that he has clear standards and expectations for his players despite the program dealing with multiple incidents this season. Pearl emphasized that he is not asking too much of his players, but that accountability is necessary, especially as they are "making this amount of money." The coach has disciplined several players, including Tahaad Pettiford, Keyshawn Hall, and KeShawn Murphy, for various undisclosed issues and being late to team activities.

Why it matters

Auburn's disciplinary problems have been a major storyline this season, raising questions about Pearl's control over the roster and the team's ability to stay focused amid the distractions. The coach's comments provide insight into his approach to player accountability and suggest he is trying to set a clear tone, even as the Tigers have continued to struggle with internal issues.

The details

Pearl stated that the Tigers have "a standard" that players must meet, and that expectations and standards "have to be held" as the players are "making this amount of money." The coach said he is "not asking a ton" of his players. Several Auburn players have faced disciplinary issues this season, including Tahaad Pettiford missing minutes early on and Keyshawn Hall missing significant time recently. Most recently, KeShawn Murphy was limited in a game due to being late to a film session, which Pearl called "an honest mistake" but still felt warranted the discipline.

  • At the beginning of the season, Tahaad Pettiford missed minutes and came off the bench due to an undisclosed issue.
  • More recently, Keyshawn Hall missed over half of the second half of the Vanderbilt matchup and all of the Arkansas matchup due to an undisclosed issue.
  • After the Keyshawn Hall incident, Pearl pleaded with the team to "stop having distractions for the next month."
  • Most recently, KeShawn Murphy was limited in the Tigers' matchup with Ole Miss due to being 20 minutes late to a film session.

The players

Steven Pearl

The head coach of the Auburn Tigers basketball team who has been dealing with multiple disciplinary issues within his program this season.

Tahaad Pettiford

An Auburn player who missed minutes and came off the bench early in the season due to an undisclosed issue.

Keyshawn Hall

An Auburn player who missed significant playing time recently due to an undisclosed disciplinary issue.

KeShawn Murphy

An Auburn player who was limited in a game due to being late to a film session, which Pearl called "an honest mistake."

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What they’re saying

“We've got a standard and if guys are going to be making this amount of money, expectations and standards have to be held. That's how we're gonna run our program. I'm not asking a ton.”

— Steven Pearl, Auburn Head Coach

“We have a six-game stretch coming up that we've got to find a way to come together as a team, we've got to put all of our BS aside, anything that's coming in between this team, and just come as one... We've just got to stop with the distractions. We've got to be focused on basketball, and focused on getting better, and if we can do those things, this team's got a chance.”

— Steven Pearl, Auburn Head Coach

“Murph(y)'s 20 minutes late to film on Thursday morning. That's why he didn't start, and that kind of carried over into his performance tonight.”

— Steven Pearl, Auburn Head Coach

What’s next

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The takeaway

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