http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2023497 KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Bruce Pearl was introduced as Tennessee's basketball coach Monday after leading Wisconsin-Milwaukee on a surprising run through the NCAA Tournament. Pearl took 12th-seeded Wisconsin-Milwaukee to the round of 16 this year for the first time in the program's 109-year history. Tennessee failed to make the NCAA Tournament in four years under coach Buzz Peterson, who was fired March 13 after a 14-17 season. The Vols' last tournament appearance was 2001. "I have complete confidence that he will take our program to the next level," university president John Petersen said. Tennessee gave Pearl a five-year contract and will pay him $800,000 a year, plus bonuses. Pearl made between $275,000 and $300,000 in base salary at Wisconsin-Milwaukee. "It's truly a dream come true. I feel like I'm prepared," Pearl said. School officials gave Pearl a Tennessee jersey with the No. 14, marking his 14th season as a coach. Pearl said Tennessee will play unselfish, up-tempo ball and expects the Vols to consistently be a Top 10 team -- noting the Tennessee women regularly contend for the national title. "It's time for us to hold our end up," Pearl said. Tennessee women's coach Pat Summitt, whose name often comes up as a candidate to be the men's coach, said she has heard "great things" about Pearl. Pearl spent nine years at Division II Southern Indiana and won the national championship there in 1995. "He is a proven, nationally recognized winner," Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton said. "His teams are disciplined, mentally tough and exciting to watch." Fifteen years ago, Pearl was an assistant coach at Iowa when he secretly taped a phone call to an Illinois recruit. He gave that tape to the NCAA and touched off a 16-month investigation that resulted in Illinois being banned from the postseason in 1991. Illinois fans booed Pearl when Wisconsin-Milwaukee played Illinois in the semifinals of the Chicago Regional last week. Illinois won 77-63. Pearl visited Knoxville on Saturday to tour the campus and meet school officials. Bobby Lutz of Charlotte and Pearl were the only interviewed candidates remaining to replace Peterson. Mike Anderson of UAB and Dana Altman of Creighton removed their names from consideration during the weekend.
Woah! There was an interview ealrier last week at which he said he would almost never leave Milwakkee, that his family was good there, and he loved the city. I'm shocked....of course, so was I when we were in that situation.
Watching the tournament you had to know it was only a matter of time before he was picked up by an other school.
Yea, he had a great interview on PTI...I think that's what you're referring to. He said in a few different ways why he wouldn't leave, but you had to know that was BS from the time it came out of his mouth. Hell, UW-Milwaukee isn't even the biggest basketball school in the CITY....Marquette's right down the road...
The scoop on Pearl in his recruiting "problem".... Illinois will always hate Iowa in basketball. It's kinda like the Fullmer deal with Alabama... without the lawsuits!!! Pearl recorded a phone call with an Illinois recruit in which the player was basically asking Iowa to match the "new car and $$" offer from Illinois. Pearl, an assistant at Iowa, turned the tape over to the coaching staff, who in turn sent it on to Clem Haskins at Minnesota. Unbelievably, Haskins had been selected by the other coaches as the "contact" for anyone reporting a violation... talk abut the fox in charge of the henhouse. Illinois got nailed... the Illini assistant coach who handled the car/cash offering was Jimmy Collins. Pearl has had a bad reputation ever since, mostly undeserved.
You Iowa fans really are a welcome addition to our forum! I haven't read one bad post by an Iowa fan yet! I would love to see us tangle in the title game for football! :geauxtige and Hawkeyes
We didn't have much of a basketball team this year. We were able to beat Louisville and Michigan State (we played every team in the Final Four, btw).... the problem was we were just as likely to lose to Purdue or Michigan... or anyone else for that matter. Anyway, back to my story... when we played Illinois (there), the Illini fans booed loudly and steadily on every Hawkeye possession. I think the only reason we took them to overtime was that their fans kept us mentally in the game. They truly haven't forgotten Bruce Pearl. They truly hate Iowa.
speaking of coaching hires, Jerry Glanville has been hired as Hawaii's defensive coordinator by June Jones. How can such a college get 2 ex nfl coaches there? Must be all the leis.
