Pearl named head coach at Tennessee
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Knoxville, TN (Sports Network) - The University of Tennessee named Bruce Pearl
its new head coach of the men's basketball program during a Monday press
conference.
Pearl, a three-time Horizon League Coach of the Year at Wisconsin-Milwaukee, just finished his best season as head coach of the Panthers by guiding them to a 26-7 campaign, a school season record for wins, and their first Sweet 16 appearance in school history. A 12th-seed in the Chicago Region of this year's NCAA Tournament, UW-Milwaukee scored upsets over Alabama and Boston College before falling to top-seeded Illinois. In four seasons at Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Pearl amassed an 86-39 record and won the Horizon League Tournament in 2003 as well as this past season. Before joining the Panthers, he spent nine successful years at Division II Southern Indiana, compiling a 231-46 record. Pearl also spent 14 years as an assistant at Stanford, Boston College and Iowa before taking over at Southern Indiana in 1992. Tennessee fired Buzz Peterson earlier this month after four years with the school. The Volunteers finished 14-17 this past season and failed to make it to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive year. Charlotte's Bobby Lutz was the only other candidate interviewed for the position after University of Alabama Birmingham's Mike Anderson and Dana Altman from Creighton withdrew their names from consideration. TENNESSEE WMILWAUKEE |