Bruce Pearl fired

Bruce Pearl, who led Tennessee to an unprecedented six straight NCAA tournament appearances, is out as the Vols' basketball coach.
Sources told ESPN.com that Pearl was informed of his dismissal on Monday, and all that remains is the finalization of a financial package for Pearl and his assistants.
Pearl was charged with unethical conduct by the NCAA for misleading NCAA investigators, and Tennessee is set to appear before the NCAA's Committee on Infractions in June.

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AP Photo/Bob LeveroneBruce Pearl's last game as Tennessee's coach came Friday in a loss to Michigan in the NCAA tournament.

"As many of you know, I have been fired as head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers," read an entry posted Monday on Pearl's Facebook page. "This really does not 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."
Pearl met with Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton earlier Monday. Hamilton said last week during a Knoxville radio interview, just three days prior to the Vols' 75-45 NCAA second-round loss to Michigan, that the "jury was still out" on whether Pearl would be back next season as Tennessee's coach.
In six seasons, Pearl, 51, led the Volunteers to their first No. 1 ranking in 2008 and first NCAA tournament regional finals appearance, missing out on a trip to the 2010 Final Four by a single point.
Pearl acknowledged in a tearful press conference on Sept. 10 that he had given investigators false information when asked about a cookout at his home attended by high school juniors. The NCAA has since charged the Tennessee basketball and football programs with a dozen violations.
After the loss to Michigan on Friday, Pearl said that he planned to be accountable for the mistakes he had made but his "goal and desire is to be the basketball coach at Tennessee next year and for a long time."
Tennessee docked his salary by $1.5 million over five years, banned him from off-campus recruiting for a year and terminated his contract in September. Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive tacked on an eight-game suspension from conference play.
Failing to notify Tennessee of another possible recruiting violation that occurred just four days after his tearful press conference may have ultimately caused Pearl to lose the support of his bosses.
Tennessee officials learned from the NCAA in December that Pearl would be charged with a violation of the NCAA's "bump rule" after speaking with a high school junior on a recruiting trip to Georgia on Sept. 14.
Pearl, who had a 145-61 record, promoted Tennessee in a way no other coach had before, with antics like appearing at a Lady Vols basketball game with his bare chest painted orange. The fans responded with boosted attendance at Vols games, which prompted athletics officials to upgrade the school's cavernous Thompson-Boling Arena and build a new basketball practice facility.
Pearl was hired in March 2006 to replace Buzz Peterson, who had gone 61-59 and did not reach the NCAA tournament in four seasons at Tennessee. Pearl had just led Wisconsin-Milwaukee to the Sweet 16 and gone 51-13 there after four seasons.
He spent six years as an assistant at Iowa under the tutelage of Tom Davis. It was during his Iowa tenure that Pearl recorded a phone conversation with recruit Deon Thomas about Thomas' recruitment by rival Illinois. Pearl turned the recording over to the NCAA, which investigated and uncovered unrelated recruiting violations by Illinois.
Pearl also spent nine seasons at Southern Indiana, leading the Screaming Eagles to the 1995 Division II national championship.