KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl has acknowledged providing misleading and incorrect information to the NCAA during a 17-month investigation into possible recruiting violations.
Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton is reducing Pearl’s pay by $1.5 million over five years and prohibiting him from participating in off-campus recruiting for one year.
Hamilton said Friday that Pearl provided the information while being interviewed in June about allegations of excessive phone calls made to recruits. Pearl notified officials three weeks later that he had provided the incorrect information.
The university received a letter from the NCAA on Friday, notifying the Volunteers of an official investigation into the entire athletic department, including possible recruiting violations under former football coach Lane Kiffin.
