USA – Pearl shown the door by Tennessee

KNOXVILLE (NCAA) - Tennessee’s blowout defeat to Michigan in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last week proved to be the last game for Volunteers boss Bruce Pearl, who was dismissed by the university on Monday night.

Pearl, charged by the NCAA with unethical conduct last year and suspended for the first eight games in the SEC but retained by the school on a lower salary, has been let go after Tennessee learned of additional violations committed on Sept. 14, 2010, and this month.

"Upon receipt of our NCAA Letter of Inquiry in September, we made the difficult decision to forego common national opinion and forge ahead with Bruce and his staff pending any further major infractions or issues that would preclude our basketball program from representing the University of Tennessee in the right manner," Tennessee Athletics Director Hamilton said.

"The cumulative effect of the evolution of the investigation combined with a number of more recent non-NCAA-related incidents have led to a belief that this staff cannot be viable at Tennessee in the future."

Pearl, who had turned the Vols into a leading program in the SEC since being handed the reins five years ago, was 145-61 with Tennessee.

In a press conference on September 10, an emotional Pearl, who was popular on campus with students, and with alumni, said that he had given investigators false information when asked about a cookout at his home that had been attended by high school juniors.

In December, however, Tennessee officials received a letter from the NCAA notifying them that Pearl would be charged with a violation of the NCAA's "bump rule" after speaking with a high school junior on a recruiting trip to Georgia on September 14 – just four days after his press conference.

Though it is understood that the 51-year-old and the university will contest the “bump rule” violation, an unspecified incident this month has proved to be the final straw.

Tennessee has agreed to pay Pearl $948,728 worth of salary and benefits as part of his dismissal agreement.

FIBA