Bruce Pearl takes UT basketball helm

March 28, 2005

KNOXVILLE (WATE and AP) --  Bruce Pearl has been named men's basketball coach at the University of Tennessee, replacing Buzz Peterson, who was fired two weeks ago.

BRUCE PEARL'S RECORD Milwaukee-Wisconsin 26-6 in 2004-2005 20-11 in 2003-2004 24-8 in 2002-2003 16-13 in 2001-2002 Two-time Horizon League Coach of the Year Southern Indiana 231 wins in nine seasons 1995 NCAA Division II National Champion 1994 NCAA Division II National Runners-Up Six NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearances Four Great Lakes Valley Championships Ranked #1 nationally six different times Nine consecutive 20-win seasons Assistant Coach NCAA Sweet 16 and Elite Eight as assistant coach at the University of Iowa NCAA Sweet 16 and Elite Eight as assistant coach at Boston College Named one of the top assistants in the country by Basketball Weekly in 1988

Pearl was introduced in a Monday afternoon press conference by UT President John Petersen and athletic director Mike Hamilton.

Pearl went 86-38 in four seasons at Wisconsin-Milwaukee. His Panthers upset Alabama and Boston College during March Madness to reach the Sweet 16.

Petersen says he has complete confidence that Pearl will take the Vols' program to the next level.

He replaces Buzz Peterson, who was fired on March 13 after a 14-17 season. It was his second losing record in four years with the Vols. In that time the Vols failed to make the NCAA tournament.

According to published reports, Pearl's contract at UWM paid him a base salary of $275,000 per year. UT has reportedly offering a contract in excess of $800,000 per year.

Pearl is the Vols' sixth head coach in the last 16 years.

Before coaching Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Pearl was at Southern Indiana for nine seasons. He won a Division II national championship in 1995.

Pearl was an assistant at Iowa and Stanford before his first head coaching job at Southern Indiana.

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