Tennessee men's athletic director Mike Hamilton said he's very aware the University of Iowa could make a run at hiring Vols' basketball coach Bruce Pearl.

"Bruce, because he's not a Tennessee native or alum, some may assume he's a possibility for their job,'' Hamilton said Monday. "They're not giving enough credit to the Tennessee men's basketball program yet.

"I want Bruce to retire as the head coach of the University of Tennessee. I don't want him to ever leave for another college job.''

The Iowa newspapers and radio stations have carried on about what an attractive choice Pearl would be over the past few days, but no formal contact from the university has been made.

Hamilton said he wouldn't expect there to be unless the Hawkeyes had already discovered through a search firm or the work of an intermediary that Pearl might be interested.

"In today's world, if an athletic director gets a call asking for permission, it means they've already gone through an intermediary, and the coach says, 'I would be willing to look at that,' " Hamilton said. "They do that rather than (risk) being embarrassed that coach 'XYZ' isn't willing to talk to them.''

Hamilton said he can understand Iowa's infatuation with Pearl, who coached there 1986-92 as an assistant to former coach Dr. Tom Davis.

"It's flattering for Bruce personally and our institution,'' Hamilton said. "But it doesn't mean he's going anywhere.''

Pearl's contract runs through 2012 when he's slated to make $1.5 million. Pearl made $1.1 million this season, and his contract escalates annually, averaging $1.3 million over the next five years.

Pearl has an incentive clause in his contract that calls for him to receive a 24 percent bonus off his base salary of $300,000 for making this year's Sweet 16, which translates into an extra $72,000.

If Pearl makes the Final Four, he'll receive a $100,000 bonus, and if he wins the national championship he gets a $250,000 bonus. Pearl also receives a $25,000 bonus if he wins SEC coach of the year and a $50,000 bonus is he's recognized as national coach of the year by a national body.

Iowa athletic director Gary Barta made it clear the Hawkeyes plan on offering an attractive financial package. Former Hawkeyes coach Steve Alford earned $925,000 per year, but Minnesota recently gave former Kentucky coach Tubby Smith a seven-year deal worth approximately $1.75 million annually.

"We have traditionally been competitive with the Big Ten and with the national averages,'' Barta told the Iowa City Press Citizen newspaper. "And we're going to make sure we continue doing that.

"We're going to pay somebody, depending upon where they sit in terms of experience and what they bring to the table.''

Hamilton knows what Pearl brings, and the Vols' athletic director said Pearl knows what UT has brought back to him and his staff.

"I think he can accomplish all the goals he desires at the University of Tennessee,'' Hamilton said. "You look across the board, and we've been very successful.

"We've made a commitment, and that's been exhibited by our fan support, our investments in the facilities and the financial commitment to the staff.''

Hamilton said Pearl's contract is structured in such a way that it doesn't necessarily need to be negotiated each year, but that doesn't mean it won't be.

Hamilton wouldn't disclose dates or details of when he and Pearl are formally scheduled to meet to discuss the pending contract extension or the possibility of a raise outside the contract's current structure.

"This is going to be an issue every year because of the success we've had,'' Hamilton said. "If people are talking about Bruce Pearl, it acknowledges we have a successful basketball program.

"You can't live in fear of others being interested in your coaches.''