Pearl Focused On Game; Hamilton Calls Him To Apolgize

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Tennessee hoops coach Bruce Pearl faced the media at the NCAA Tournament in Charlotte today and admitted that Mike Hamilton’s comments from yesterday “came as a bit of a surprise.”  UT’s AD admitted in a radio interview that ran in Knoxville yesterday that the school will evaluate Pearl’s status at the end of the season.  That was a switch from the school’s previously stated desire to stand by Pearl through thick and through thin (barring new major violations).

Pearl told the press that he wanted to talk about tomorrow’s game with Michigan, but according to the AP he was “peppered” with questions about his job status.  The coach said “up until recently” he had been under the assumption that he’d be able to defend himself in an NCAA hearing in June.

Meanwhile, The Knoxville News Sentinel reports today that — according to two sources — Hamilton phoned Pearl to apologize.


Pearl confirmed he had talked to Hamilton at Thursday’s press conference in Time Warner Cable Arena, but he declined to reveal what was said.

Pearl did, however say on Thursday that, “I think Mike would have prepared for it to not come out like this.”