Thursday, April 2, 2009

Bruce Pearl going to Memphis: Why not?

By Jayson D. Henry

One does not have to be much of a Psychologist to notice that Bruce Pearl is not as happy as he once was about being the head basketball coach for the University of Tennessee.

In recent radio and printed interviews Pearl has expressed dismay at the fact that the UT fan base has called his team’s most recent season a disappointment. After all, the Vols did win the SEC East…again. They played in the SEC Tournament title game. And, they were chosen for the NCAA Tournament.

However, Pearl’s problems are three fold in Knoxville.

First, he has set his own bar very high. The Volunteer basketball program has reached new heights while under his command. Sweet 16 appearances and regular season SEC championships have come to be expected rather than surprising. Now, any season short of reaching or exceeding all of those goals proves to be a disappointment in the ‘Vol Nation’.

Another thing that disappointed UT fans this year was that Pearl’s talent did not allow him to employ the fast paced, pressing style he has used in his previous years in Thompson-Boling Arena. Fans were not as excited about the half-court, methodical approach displayed in 2008-09.

And perhaps most importantly, Pearl has no doubt come to the full realization by now that football is king in Knoxville.

In his first years, his program has experienced increased enthusiasm due to the football team’s less than stellar seasons. Now, new coach Lane Kiffin has re-energized the Volunteer faithful in regard to their true favorite.

So, these factors now have to be considered by the popular coach. Will he stay with the Vols or will he head west for the fruitful recruiting fields of Memphis?
Consider all the advantages of going to Memphis.

Basketball is tops in Tiger land. There certainly will be no competition from football on his own campus.

Playing in Conference USA will almost assure a conference championship and a high seed in the NCAA Tournament every year.

And even though previous Memphis coach John Calipari recruited nationally, Pearl would, in reality, rarely ever have to leave the city limits of his own town to recruit a championship caliber club.

All of this has to be considered along with the fact that Memphis appears to be prepared to offer a significant amount of money that Tennessee may not be willing or able to match.

So, will Bruce Pearl leave UT for Memphis? Why not?

Reach me by e-mail at neverenoughsports@yahoo.com.

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