On the heels of a 75-45 loss to Michigan on Friday in the second round of the NCAA tournament, University of Tennessee’s Bruce Pearl has been fired.
The Vols basketball coach, who led Tennessee to six straight NCAA tournament appearances, was informed of his dismissal on Monday, according to ESPN.
Pearl’s salary was docked $1.5 million and he was banned from off-campus recruiting following an unethical conduct charge for misleading NCAA investigators regarding a cookout at his home attended by high school juniors. In a tearful press conference on September 10, the Tennessee basketball coach acknowledged he had given investigators false information.
Just days after the press conference, it was learned that Pearl failed to notify Tennessee of another possible recruiting violation, which may have been the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Pearl confirmed his dismissal on Facebook, posting, “As many of you may know, I have been fired as head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers. This really does note come as a surprise to me, but my emotions are getting the best of me. This is perhaps the saddest day in my life. I loved everything about Tennessee, Knoxville, and the Volunteers. These were the best years of my life!”