Breaking News - Tennessee Fures Coach Bruce Pearl

Channel 5 News Posted: Mar 21, 2011 2:04 PM CDT Updated: Mar 21, 2011 2:24 PM CDT KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A person with knowledge of the decision says Tennessee has fired Bruce Pearl after a season that saw the coach charged with unethical conduct for lying to NCAA investigators during a probe into recruiting. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the university has not announced the firing. Sources within UT athletics have also confirmed to our sister station WVLT-TV in Knoxville that the the university and Bruce Pearl have decided to part ways. A formal announcement is expected Monday afternoon. In six seasons, the 51-year-old Pearl led the Volunteers to their first No. 1 ranking 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 September 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. (Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)