Should a coach’s ego come in the way of the team’s performance? Well, that is what fans demand to know from Auburn coach Steven Pearl after his executive decision to sit leading scorer Keyshawn Hall in Saturday’s 88-75 loss to Arkansas for disciplinary reasons has irked the fans to no end.

Not only has Steven Pearl disciplined him for his “disorderliness,” but he also chose not to explain his decision. Moreover, there is also no return date available for Hall. Auburn’s string of losses is making it even more bizarre as they fell to their fourth straight defeat against Arkansas.

This was also not the first time that Steven Pearl has taken such a step. Tahaad Pettiford and Kadeb Magwood have already borne the brunt of Pearl’s displeasure as they found themselves benched in the early conference games. Tahaad Pettiford, combined with KeShawn Murphy, produced 51 points while shooting 59% from the floor against the Razorbacks.

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The rest of the team couldn’t even come halfway close, shooting 22% from the floor. With the best player on the team sitting out, they weren’t able to compete at all. With 20.7 ppg, 6.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and a 45.5 FG%, Keyshawn Hall could only watch the game from afar.

Naturally, the Auburn fans were livid and blasted the coach.

Fans Come All Guns Blazing Against Steven Pearl After Auburn’s Disastrous Run

You can afford luxuries when the team is doing well, but when it’s going through calamity, personal grudges should be put aside. That is what the fans believe in, and the comments tell the same story.

“Fire Steven’s ass for this stupid shit! He’s not making any tourney and setting the program back,” said one commenter who has lost faith in Steven Pearl’s abilities and decision-making power.

Auburn is struggling, and even that seems to be an understatement at this point. A 14-11 record isn’t one of a team that is about to make its way into the NCAA playoffs. Auburn’s SEC conference needs near perfection, and their current record reads far from it.

Some are even being upfront to call his hiring a result of nepotism.

Many believe former coach Bruce Pearl might have had an influence on his son Steven’s rise with Auburn. During his first 11 seasons on the Plains on Bruce Pearl’s staff, Steven Pearl rose steadily from assistant strength coach to director of operations, then to assistant coach, defensive coordinator, and associate head coach.

Those were the golden years for the Tigers, as they won five SEC championships and made two Final Four appearances. But now they are past their heyday, and the team is looking to merely survive at this point, and that is what is getting the fans agitated.

Steven Pearl’s team’s awful record is making the fans wonder if they are good enough for an NIT invite. The NIT (National Invitation Tournament) invites the top two teams from each conference in the NET rankings that were not selected for the NCAA tournament. These teams would be invited to the NIT and guaranteed the option to host a first-round game regardless of their record, and now even that seems improbable.

So there is resentment and anger brewing in the minds of the fans, and Pearl is finding himself right in the middle of it. His calls are having an adverse impact on the game, and he knows it, and so do the fans, so what does he do now? Will Steven Pearl relent and reinstate Hall??

“It’s obviously going to be harder for us to win games when Key’s not out there. We’ve got to stop having distractions for the next month. I can’t keep having to be in these situations where I have to sit players in order to discipline them and make a point.” Steven Pearl acknowledged.

So Pearl Jr has a hard call to make, and his call will certainly make or break their season.