Sources: Pearl Out at Tennessee
Bruce Pearl’s tenure at Tennessee is over.
According to multiple sources, the Vols head coach – who is the subject of an NCAA investigation in which he admitted to lying to the NCAA – was informed of the decision Monday morning by athletic director Mike Hamilton.
Pearl, according to a source, received compensation as part of a buyout agreement.
An official announcement could be released as early as Monday afternoon.
Sources said that former Appalachian State head coach Houston Fancher is expected to take the reigns as the interim coach until a permanent replacement is hired.
Pearl has spent the past six seasons at Tennessee after coming from Wisconsin-Milwaukee and has led the Vols to six consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.
However, Hamilton – according to sources – was recently informed that the NCAA would be coming down hard on Pearl and he opted to cut ties.
Pearl, 51, was 145-61 in his time in Knoxville. The Vols were blown out in the first round of the NCAA tournament by Michigan last week and finished the season 19-15 overall and 8-8 in SEC play.
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Pearl may have been wrong,but Hamilton has made the University of Tennessee a laughing stock,first in the way he dismissed Phil Fulmer,and then the Kiffen fiasco.
Its time for Hamilton to go.Think Phil would take it,or tell them to go to hell? -
Mike Hamilton needs to get out of Tennessee!!!! You had a Basketball coach that put UT Vols on the map, They have never been a basketball school so now that coach Pearl is leaving, get rid of all the dirty laundry!!!!!
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No one sin is bigger than the other!! They all are the same!! Hamilton needs to go too!!!!
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If you want Hamilton to be fired, it should be for hiring Pearl in the 1st place.
There's a real good reason why he was black balled by every major D1 program for 10 years.
Making up allegations about another program and hounding a recruit you lost to them relentlessly, then turning in false info to the NCAA means it's not exactly the 1st time he "misled" the NCAA.
Dick Vitale called it "career suicide". That suicide ended when Tennessee was foolish enough to hire the guy....and look what you got.
Illegally contacting a recruit FOUR DAYS after his tearful apology on TV spelled the end and made it an easy decision for Cheek, not Hamilton.
