"Paranoia strikes deep. Into your life it will creep." — Buffalo Springfield

Well, it didn’t take long for the worrying and fretting to begin in Knoxville. For the past couple of weeks, we’ve all heard the murmurs.

"Somebody’s gonna make a run at Bruce Pearl." "Cincinnati’s going to be open at the end of the year." "Kentucky would love to have Pearl."

Let the fear begin.

Yes, Tennessee’s first-year men’s basketball coach is having one heckuva year. Yes, he’s proved he can work miracles by turning a moribund Tennessee program into the nation’s biggest surprise team. But does that mean another school is going to lure him away?

UT is working on a significant pay raise for their first-year coach (more on that in a minute). Do you really think there are many schools out there that can win in a bidding war with the UT (regardless of budget deficits)?

And how many schools out there can offer Pearl what Tennessee offers? Cincinnati? I think not. Only the Kentuckys, Dukes, North Carolinas, Indianas and UCLAs would give Pearl an easier path to Final Fours ? and that’s just based on their tradition, nothing else.

Pearl has proved that facilities are not a problem (despite what I and a lot of others thought). Money shouldn’t be a problem as long as some big-time Vol donors are ready with their checkbooks. Exposure? UT will be all over national TV next year and Pearl is already the 2006 college basketball poster boy.

Face it, Pearl has a job that’s the equal of just about everything else out there: state school, big money, big facilities, huge fan base, the love of his boss (don’t underestimate that one), etc, etc.

Buck for buck, the NBA has more teams that could make a run at Pearl than the NCAA does. Which brings us to ?

"Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers." — Garth Brooks

For years, Tennessee fans have prayed that they would have a successful basketball program. Now that they have one, they pray that some school, some team or some spaceship from Mars doesn’t take their coach away.

On Tuesday night, ESPN showed Boston Celtics executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge courtside at the Tennessee-Kentucky basketball game. Just minutes after the game, this exchange was posted on my govolsxtra.com blog:

Sauce: "What was Ainge really doing at KY in the middle of the week? Is he scouting Coach Pearl to bring him home to Boston? When Pearl was growing up in Mass. the most-famous program in the world was the Celtics. ..."

Justin: "I hope the Celtics thing is just speculation, I am wondering now."

Anything’s possible, of course. Pearl might be coaching Panathinaikos of the Greek professional league next year. But my guess is this is just paranoia. If an NBA franchise was going to make a run at Pearl, wouldn’t it be the Washington Wizards and team president Ernie Grunfeld?

And remember, it was just five short years ago that Vol fans were worried that Buzz Peterson would be called home to Carolina. (Granted, he was, but it was "Coastal," not "North," that did the calling.)

"There’s nothing better, once you’ve had the best." — Alan Jackson

The fear of Pearl leaving isn’t the only concern for the Big Orange faithful. Some fans are scared witless of the fact that Pearl can’t possibly satisfy the growing expectations of the Vol fan base (that he has built with his meteoric rise).

"How can he top this next year?" "How can he live up to the expectations?"

This seems a bit more realistic, to me, especially after one talk show caller revealed earlier this week that "anything less than an Elite Eight performance would be a disappointment." And he meant THIS year.

Now that SEC titles, Sweet Sixteens, and Final Fours are being thrown around like Confederate money, one has to wonder just how high the bar will be raised next year — when a top-15 recruiting class arrives on The Hill.

But will that frighten away the likes of Pearl? A man who draws attention to himself (and his program) like Tom Cruise on an Oprah couch? I think not.

"You know, I work all day to get you money to buy your things. And it’s worth it just to hear you say you’re gonna give me everything." — The Beatles

All of this would probably lead you to believe that I don’t agree with the "give Bruce Pearl a truckload of money right now" fever that’s swept Knoxville. Au contraire.

The raise that athletic director Mike Hamilton and UT is drawing up for Pearl isn’t tied to the wins that he’s already brought to the Vols. And I don’t think it’s being whipped up out of bone-chilling fear, either.

The raise that Pearl will be offered at year’s end will be a direct result of the increased ticket sales, increased concession sales, increased parking revenue, increased donations toward Thompson-Boling Arena luxury suites, and increased donations toward a basketball practice facility.

Pearl has rejuvenated (let’s be honest, he’s just plain "juvenated") Tennessee basketball. THAT is why he should be rewarded.

Not because of the team’s record. Not because of fear.

But because of the spectacular sales job he’s done in Knoxville, East Tennessee and on the nation’s airwaves. So give him his raise. Enjoy the fruits of his labor. And stop worrying so much. This is what Vol fans have been wanting for 20 years. Enjoy it.

Live the dream, Vol faithful, live the dream.

John Pennington hosts The Hall’s Salvage Sports Source on Sunday at 11 a.m. on WATE. He also writes a blog at govolsxtra.com.