Would you want Bruce Pearl back? [Pearl discussion — merged]

I’m not attacking you OP, but the life of a Tennessee fan would be so much easier if the Bruce Pearl years were just wiped from our brain.


I was a huge Bruce Pearl fan. I thought he brought in great players, and gave us a great brand of basketball.

Do I want him back? No. You don't fire a guy for what Bruce did, and hire him back. Even though there are issues with the team right now,
I am not breaking out the torches and pitchforks to run Barnes out the door. But if Barnes retires or is let go, I am not calling for Bruce to return. No more than I would want Kiffen back. Once the bridge gets burned, don't try to rebuild it.
 
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I know the university had the photo or at least Jimmy Cheek had it for two weeks and doesn't even ask his coach about it, Cheek allowed an assistant coach to be interviewed first without telling him he had the photo, granted the assistant lied when he said he didn't know where the photo was took but the university had a part in setting up their own coaches.
It was Mike Hamilton who had knowledge of the photo, but I think it's been well-established that as an Athletic Director, Mike Hamilton was out of his depth. Hard to say whether him not being forthcoming about it was either entrapment or incompetent.

And sure, they did nothing to help Pearl out, but again, he made the bed, and you've still yet to acknowledge that fact. You keep blaming everyone else's reactionary moves, but not the person whose behavior set the wheels in motion.
 
It was Mike Hamilton who had knowledge of the photo, but I think it's been well-established that as an Athletic Director, Mike Hamilton was out of his depth. Hard to say whether him not being forthcoming about it was either entrapment or incompetent.

And sure, they did nothing to help Pearl out, but again, he made the bed, and you've still yet to acknowledge that fact. You keep blaming everyone else's reactionary moves, but not the person whose behavior set the wheels in motion.
Not at all, I know Pearl made mistakes, I know he will never coach here again, but it still chaps watching them play among the elites while we drown in mediocrity.
 
Bruce Pearl, through his carelessness and stupidity, let the NCAA wolf into our house. That is unforgivable. He should have been fired on the spot by the AD, but the situation was handled so poorly by the AD that we ended up a laughingstock of MBB. All he had to do was tell the NCAA investigator the truth and the fallout would have been manageable. But no. He lied, and lied to recruits and their families trying to cover up his lies. Unforgivable. If he hadn't screwed the pooch, he would still be our coach. Not our fault. Completely his fault. And he burned his bridges. I'd rather lose than have him back as coach. And we don't need the sleaze factor he brings.
 
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Nope. Once you tell that first big stinker lie to NCAA, it just becomes easier and easier and easier.

Aubie will end up in the po-po to rot away.

But, wish him well.
 
BPs crimes are almost nothing compared with the general SEC landscape. And he's a helluva coach.

Absolutely yes.
 
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He mishandled talks with the NCAA... Like they are consistent.... And he now has Auburn basketball who hasnt been relevent in years a solid force... All while Barnes has been pretty average with the talent he has brought in.. Fulky wouldn't start for over half the teams in the SECor especially top 25.... He is a solid bench and role player at best
 
Pearl had his chance and he isn’t coming back. However His tenure was better than Barnes’ tenure.

Nevertheless we have Barnes. But what I can’t understand is the low expectations of Vol basketball fans. Vol fans should have higher expectations. Heck Pearl went to the NCAAT every year here with a few suspect rosters.

I say we should have high expectations especially considering we have what many people say is a hall of fame coach - a coach who receives top 5 money. Yet not producing top 5 results. Not even close.
 
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No thanks on Bruce. IMO, it’s pretty sad and pathetic that there are so many UT fans posting on here that they would want him back. They conveniently forget a sub .500 Auburn last year that team that laughably self-imposed a post-season ban when they knew they weren’t good enough to go anyway.
Pearl will be 4 out of 8 NCAA tourneys at Auburn after this year, Barnes will be 4 out of 7 NCAA tourneys at UT after this year ( assuming Auburn would have made it and UT wouldn’t have in Covid year).
Summary- I’m glad Volnation is not representative of UT fans as a whole and very glad we won’t ever have to self-impose under Coach Barnes.
 
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