Bruce Pearl Banned From Recruiting For 3 Years

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-08-24/former-tennessee-basketball-coach-pearl-banned-from-recruiting-for-3-years.html

Former University of Tennessee basketball coach Bruce Pearl was banned from recruiting for three years at any National Collegiate Athletic Association school for violations while he was with the Volunteers, the NCAA said.

Pearl, who was fired at the end of last season, was suspended for eight games during 2010-11 and forfeited $1.5 million in pay.

The NCAA said Pearl failed to monitor his program and provided “false and misleading information” during its investigation into recruiting violations.

The NCAA, college sports governing body, also put the Knoxville, Tennessee, school on probation for two years.

The violations involved three recruits who attended a dinner at Pearl’s home during their unofficial visits to the school. Pearl took the families outside, informed them the visit was a violation of NCAA rules and asked them not to tell anyone. Pearl later told NCAA investigators the meeting never happened.

The NCAA investigation also found that the men’s basketball staff had placed 94 impermissible phone calls to 12 prospects over two years. Three former assistant coaches also were banned from recruiting for two years.