NCAA bans Pearl for three years

KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 24 (UPI) -- The NCAA announced Wednesday it has effectively banned former Tennessee men's basketball Coach Bruce Pearl from taking a college job for the next three years.

The ruling means that any school within the NCAA that wants to hire Pearl during the next three years must offer an explanation of why it should be allowed to do so. A one-year show-cause ban was placed on Pearl's former assistant coaches, Tony Jones, Jason Shay and Steve Forbes.

A yearlong investigation by the NCAA showed that Pearl hosted would-be recruits in his home, which is a major NCAA bylaw infraction. The committee on infractions said Pearl attempted to cover up the infraction and encouraged others in the athletic department to do the same thing.

"Head coaches bear primary responsibility for monitoring all aspects of their programs and promoting an atmosphere for compliance," the committee report said. "It is also presumed that head coaches know or should know of violations in their programs, particularly when the violations occur over an extended period of time."

The university received only a public reprimand and a two-year probation that extends through Aug. 23, 2013.

Tennessee, which fired Pearl in March, imposed recruiting restrictions on its own football and basketball programs in an attempt to lessen potential NCAA sanctions.

The Volunteers reached the NCAA Tournament in each of Pearl's six years at the school. Pearl recently said he was considering accepting an offer to coach a team in the NBA Development League.