KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A person with knowledge of the decision says Tennessee has fired Bruce Pearl after a season that saw the coach charged with unethical conduct for lying to NCAA investigators during a probe into recruiting.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the university has not announced the firing.
In six seasons, the 51-year-old Pearl led the Volunteers to their first No. 1 ranking and first NCAA tournament regional finals appearance, missing out on a trip to the 2010 Final Four by a single point.
Pearl acknowledged in a tearful press conference on Sept. 10 that he had given investigators false information when asked about a cookout at his home attended by high school juniors. The NCAA has since charged the Tennessee basketball and football programs with a dozen violations.
