Why did Bruce Pearl leave Tennessee? Auburn coach fired by Vols over NCAA violations

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Going all the way back to the spring of 2005, when he was a fresh-faced 45-year-old leading Wisconsin-Milwaukee on a surprising run to the Sweet 16, Bruce Pearl has been one of the best, most recognizable coaches in college basketball.

Nearly 20 years later at Auburn, he has revitalized what was a languishing program at the time of his hiring in March 2014. Over the past six seasons in which there was an NCAA Tournament, he has led the Tigers to March Madness five times — a successful run highlighted by the program’s first-ever Final Four appearance in 2019.

This season, Auburn is 22-2 and ranked No. 2 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. With a month until Selection Sunday, the Tigers are one of a small handful of favorites to cut down the nets in San Antonio and win the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

REQUIRED READING: Why Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl saved a Charles Barkley voicemail for 7 years

This marks the second time Pearl has reversed the fortunes of an SEC program and turned it into a national power.

From 2005-11, Pearl was the coach at Tennessee, guiding the Vols to one of the most decorated stretches in program history. Under Pearl’s watch, Tennessee made the NCAA Tournament in each of his six seasons, including two seasons in which it was a No. 2 seed.

His tenure, though, ended in controversy, paving the way for his eventual arrival at Auburn three years later.

With his latest group of Tigers set to take on archrival No. 1 Alabama Saturday in the first-ever SEC game between the two highest-ranked teams in the country, here’s a closer look at Pearl’s exit at Tennessee:

Why did Bruce Pearl leave Tennessee?

Pearl didn’t have much of a choice in his departure from Tennessee, as he was fired by the university in March 2011.

How it got to that point is another story.

Before his termination, Pearl was an incredibly successful, well-liked coach. After inheriting a Tennessee program that had missed the NCAA Tournament in each of the previous four seasons, he…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/why-did-bruce-pearl-leave-120531048.html

Author : The Montgomery Advertiser

Publish date : 2025-02-15 12:05:00

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