Bruce Pearl Reportedly Fired As Tennessee Basketball Coach for Lying

In my article on September 16, 2010, I called for the University of Tennessee to fire men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl in light of the disclosures and statements concerning Pearl's lies to NCAA investigators. Today Pearl was finally let go by the Volunteers, according to an Associated Press report.

The fact that Pearl suborned perjury from athletes who were at his home illegally, telling them to lie and deny they were ever there, merely added grist to facts so repugnant as to require the firing of any coach of any team, much less any university that proclaims it is there for higher academics and the pursuit of truth. Yet, he was aided and supported for this long by his Athletic Director Mike Hamilton.

It remains to be seen whether the context of Pearl's statements is covered by Tennessee state law making such statements illegal, if not a felony. I only hope that Pearl's problems become much worse, for his acts attack the very core of the NCAA and academic institutions.

The taint of Pearl will waft over the University of Tennessee for quite a while. After both football and basketball find themselves in such bad shape, keeping the same crew at the University must rankle everyone with any sense of propriety.

Pearl was not only a pain for ethical reasons, his college rah-rah attitude demeaned his position and made one wonder if there is not far more here than mere illegal recruit visits to Pearl's home.

Hamilton's continuing support for Pearl certainly means he will also leave as soon as it is practical. Both Pearl and Hamilton were by no means innocent. The AD's public statements in September about lying and in support of Pearl make him fodder.

Was there more discovered despite the lies and NCAA rules violations revealed so far? Perhaps. The rest will come out soon, if any such problems exist. But there is nothing more than what we know to fire Pearl.

What is even more disgusting is that Tennessee made some statements earlier about Pearl not being required to tell the truth. As if they could not fire him even if he violated NCAA rules, or did not tell the truth.

Inherent in any contract with anyone involved in college athletics has to be the right to fire under those circumstances. Many arguments exist to support this view. How this could have even been suggested is therefore mystifying.

For now, let's hope only one thing. That Pearl does not find another team in all of sports willing to take him on.

Pearl is best out of sports entirely. His lack of morality, and the end of his career, surely was signaled by his statement, as appalling as any in the history of college basketball: “I learned that it’s not OK to tell the truth most of the time, but you’ve got to tell the truth all of the time.” He learned this after coaching college players for years? He learned morality because he was caught?

How can a grown man make such a statements?

Because they come straight from his soul. Plain and simple. Straight from his soul.