The University of Tennessee men’s basketball coaching staff made 97 impermissible phone calls from October 2007 through the present.
UT said that sloppy record keeping, miscommunication between the coaches and carelessness led to it filing four different self-reports of violations involving impermissible phone calls to the NCAA over the past three years.
Vols coach Bruce Pearl and assistant coaches Tony Jones and Steve Forbes all were issued letters of reprimand, and a number of recruiting restrictions were put into place as a result of the calls.
Documentation of the phone violations and self-reports were obtained from the UT athletic department under public records requests by the News Sentinel.
UT announced the restrictions pertaining to the calls — some already served — as part of its Sept. 10 letter of inquiry press conference.
Other self-imposed sanctions, not necessarily related to the phone violations, included: A $1.5 million reduction in Pearl’s salary over the next five years; a 25 percent reduction in the salary of the assistant coaches; a one-year suspension of off-campus recruiting privileges for Pearl and Forbes; a nine-month suspension of off-campus recruiting privileges for Jones and a three-month suspension of off-campus recruiting privileges for assistant Jason Shay.
The off-campus recruiting suspensions begin Friday.
Five current UT players were among the 12 then-prospects that Vols coaches contacted in excess or outside the period allowed by the NCAA: senior Melvin Goins, junior Renaldo Woolridge, sophomore Kenny Hall and freshmen Jordan McRae and Tobias Harris.
Sources in the UT athletic department said the players’ eligibility is not in question. The school said in its self-reports to the NCAA that the Vols did not gain a competitive advantage as a result of the impermissible calls.
Phone violations have become a common issue in NCAA compliance cases.
Dating back to Sept. 21, 2005, more than 700 cases in the NCAA database involve impermissible phone calls by athletic programs around the country.
UT has submitted four different reports to the NCAA that involve impermissible phone calls dating back to October 2007.
One report involves Goins, with the impermissible phone calls taking place on March 3, 2009, and again on March 31, 2009.
On March 3, Pearl left a two-minute voice message on Goins’ phone after Forbes had used up the allotted contact for that time period.
The second impermissible call to Goins, on March 31, was a result of Pearl calling both Goins and Goins’ mother on the same date. Calls to the parent of a recruit count as a contact, too.
In another report, there were 13 impermissible phone calls involving Woolridge in October 2007. Eight of the calls occurred on Oct. 17, the date Woolridge made his verbal commitment to attend UT. Of those eight calls, five were voicemails, and two resulted in no contact being made at all.
UT’s explanation was that the calls involving Woolridge were of the congratulatory nature.
In a third case, UT submitted paperwork showing 44 excessive calls to Hall his junior year of high school. Of the 44 calls, Jones made 39 and Pearl made five. Some of the calls were made to Hall’s parents.
In the fourth report, there were 38 impermissible calls made between Aug. 1, 2007 and July 30, 2009.
According to the report, 19 of the 38 calls were voicemails where no contact was made.
The calls involved 10 different athletes, including three current UT players: Hall, Harris and McRae. The cumulative number of impermissible calls to those UT athletes in that time frame was six.
In three of the four violations cases the Vols submitted to the NCAA , telephone software purchased by UT led to the discovery of the impermissible calls.
Brad Bertani, UT’s associate athletics director for compliance, said the school has used special phone software for all of its athletics programs since fall of 2009 to prevent violations.
The current systems in place are “ACS,” which was added this fall, and “Comply and Verify,” which was running approximately one year ago.
“With ACS . . . you put all of the recruits’ phone numbers in the database,’’ Bertani said. “The coaches go through the system to make a call, and if another coach has already made a call to that prospect and reached the limit, it will give a warning message that the allowable number of calls (to that prospect) has been reached.’’
Bertani said ACS also has an audit system that allows compliance via checks run through the phone log.
Comply and Verify software identifies impermissible calls after they have been made. Bertani said UT is running both systems in its efforts to be thorough.
The Comply and Verify software alerted UT to the 38 impermissible calls that involved 10 athletes, including the cumulative six calls made to McRae, Harris and Hall.
The other 32 calls in the report were made to then-prospects Elliot Williams (9), who attended Memphis; Chris Singleton (6), Florida State; Josh Selby (4), Kansas; Rico Pickett (4), Manhattan; Aaron Craft (7), Ohio State; Justin Martin (1), Xavier and Griffin McKenzie (1), Xavier.
Dan Proctor draws Tennessee Football…
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Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 69
nepperso#220348 writes:
Sounds like a great reason to fire the incompetent AD.
Flabbergasted writes:
Sloppy record keeping, mis-communication, carelessness? Sounds like a loss of institutional control to me. I hope the NCAA doesn't view it that way.
Botetourtvol writes:
Mobile phones and PDA's are ruining our b-ball momentum - maybe the NCAA should be force everyone to use land lines and rotary phones - this would tone it down a bit. Old School- Old Fool.
Botetourtvol writes:
My Grandma used to give me a Pimento Cheese Sandwich on Roman Meal Whole Wheat / Powdered Donuts and a Frosty Root Beer ......good stuff...real good stuff.
Mule_Days_King writes:
Good ole PB&J, Oreos and sweet tea.
sampears writes:
You made me laugh so hard I almost had to change my draws....oh wait....
sidwalkvol writes:
less than a hundred calls in three years? TOTAL? Many of the VM and no actual contact? I made a hundred calls on my phone TODAY! Golly. And catscratch, go scratch yourself... the man asked for a meeting to recant. That kind of conscience-prompted honor more than trumps a heat-of-the-moment lie. My suspicion is that most of us have lied and PRAYED no one would discover it. And that it REMAINS unconfessed. Caliparri, anyone?
orangecountyvols writes:
Witchy,
You are not as old as I thought. The R C Cola and moon pie outdates the Little Debbie and Mountain Dew.
Bet none of you remember a little bitty grape drink called a Tiny. Yes, it was called a Tiny. Witch Doctor's dad had them in his time !
CoverOrange writes:
The software was put in place fall of 2009.
The latest of the violations in the reports were calls in July of 2009.
The software led to discovery of 3 of the 4 reports.
Apparently a time warp has been found in the UTAD.
mdvol writes:
It's not the crime....it's the cover-up.
You're still my boy, Bruce.
Botetourtvol writes:
You got me there - I do not recall Tiny - I remember Grape Fanta with Charles Chips from the tin can. The ambien is kicking in fellas.
M_VOL writes:
Do you ever get bored with your self? Witch_Doctor?
D@mn you're silly.
RemembertheAlamo writes:
A non-carbonated grape drink sold in the mid-atlantic states. It was 7 oz drink. I think you had to go to Virginia to get a "Tiny".
onevol writes:
Sounds like we were careless and miscommunicated that we cheated. This is like saying that this is an administrative problem when it is evident that we were running a dirty program and we are not sure that we have gotten to the end of this yet.
SmokeyMyVols writes:
"They callin' me"
Mule_Days_King writes:
They aren't pulling a Juicy Locke are they?
yabadabadoo1026 writes:
so why you glossing over the lying to the NCAA which is the bigger issue?????????
yabadabadoo1026 writes:
go rest your brain Plasticman, this is a baaaaddddddd nite for you--------------do you realize how idiotic you sound talkin smack about UNC being scared to play us after we just cancelled a contracted football game cause we are too scared to play them-----------you cant be serious?????
Ironcity writes:
If you guys had any idea what you are talking about you would understand how stupid you sound. 700 phone violations in the last 5 years in the NCAA. UT has actually created institutional control via software and thats how these problems were caught. If anything this actually shows Hamilton is on top of it because most institutions don't use this software.
Ironcity writes:
You sound a little bitter. Is it because this incident may not bring UT down? You need to worry about UNC, the cheating issues go way beyond the football program and everyone knows it.
yabadabadoo1026 writes:
i think he just might be---some of the delusional just dont think at all before they talk smack---great way to lose any credibiltiy you may have once had
Mule_Days_King writes:
Tyler is staying, isn't he?
SummittsCourt writes:
Time for the sneaky snake to go (hamilton). He has no loyalties to UT and is only concerned with himself. Fire hammy now!
Mule_Days_King writes:
On a more positive note.....
http://tennessee.scout.com/2/1004701....
zansdad writes:
According to the article, the reporting software has been in place for over a year. That is what caught the illegal calls. The newer software added in fall of 2009 stops the illegal calls from even being made. Thus no illegal calls since this newer software has been installed.
zansdad writes:
Not lies. One lie told, apparently, by multiple people. It is a fine point, I admit, but it is a point. Don't make this out to be Bruce Pearl stringing together a huge web of deceit. Someone on the staff was asked a question and gave a less than truthful answer. Then everyone else had his back. It was a mistake, they fessed up. Time to move on. My problem is, if the NCAA knew where the photo was taken why did they lead Pearl into lying? Why didn't they just tell him they had a photo of a junior at his house and move on. I think too many NCAA investigators try to get a sensational story out of what should be routine. Maybe it gives them job satisfaction.
zansdad writes:
Wow, whose side are you on? What it sounds like is that the NCAA rule book is a few thousand pages thick and it leaves room for mistakes (like multiple people miles apart accidentally calling a recruit and his mother on the same day). We have a program in place to catch these, they were caught and dealt with. The lie is still the big issue and it too has been handled.
zansdad writes:
Maybe everyone on here that routinely calls for Hamilton to be fired should post where they work, what they do for a living, and what their job expectation are. Then a bunch of us that don't know anything about how to do your job, what it entails, and probably don't possess half the skills to perform it can all come down and yell for your boss to fire you too.
IBleedOrange444 writes:
Sounds like it was a really stupid idea to put that software on the phone system. I wonder if the warning message was audible from both ends of the line? I bet the slimeball up at UK doesn't have this "special phone software".
The7Maxims writes:
God, I hope he is. If he transfers out, that'll be a huge blow. I have him slated to take over for Simms after the LSU game.
ChatBleu writes:
I'm sure the ones here trying to belittle the violations as petty would saying the NCCA should impose the death penalty and hooping it up if it were say, UK, Fla, Memphis, etc... Time for a reality check people. Whine about it and try to dismiss is as petty all you want. It is very serious and UT is going to face major penalties that will set the program back years. Forget about any top recruits even looking at UT for several years now with probation looming and Pearl's possible departure. Heck UT will be lucky to keep it's current recruits. I really don't think all of the details have come out. It's getting nastier every week it seems. Here's the link to a little article by Rivals.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketba...
This is the past paragraph for those that chose not to look at the link.
"It's entirely possible Pearl is teetering toward a resignation/firing with all these details coming out each week. If that happens, it's highly likely he won't get the same kind second chance like Sampson did. At the very least, not nearly as soon."
zqvol writes:
Most people on this board suffer from the ostrich syndrome. Put your head in the sand and the problem will go away.
scubadad1 writes:
SPAM samich and a U hoooooooo.
scubadad1 writes:
let's all hope butch davis is able to land at a d 2 school when he needs a job...coming soon
jhayes0926#638474 writes:
Very big headlines in todays paper in Memphis. "Vols Admit to 97 illegal calls". They are playing it up big here in Memphis in an apparent push to keep Adonis at home. Naming 5 current Vols that were contacted. Hall, Tobias, McRae, Goins, Woolridge.
Commercial Appeal is really working this.
NO_DIGGITY writes:
Potted Meat Sammich on Kerns Light Bread with a Dart Cola from Ole Cas's store.
ChatBleu writes:
Here is why UT has not fired Pearl, from ESPN, the link:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/st...
An excerpt from the article.
"It's hard to imagine a contract that affords a coach more protection than [fomer coach] Jim O'Brien's contract with Ohio State," said Columbus-based attorney Joseph Murray, who represented O'Brien in his lawsuit against Ohio State for terminating him for cause prior to an NCAA investigation.
"Bruce Pearl doesn't have to imagine though, because he's got just such a contract."
As far as recruiting UT can kiss their two top recruits for 2011, Adonis Thomas and Adam Zagoria good bye. This is just the beginning of the fallout.
http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasket...
EMBuckles writes:
M_VOL, I think that Witch Doctor is a HOOT and the BEST poster on here! And if you don't want a shrunken head, YOU better think so too, ha, ha! Um, "bones never lie"! ;>
EMBuckles writes:
Oh and my favorite was hot dogs with peanut butter on the bun and chocolate fudge for dessert! Of course, when running wind sprints on my high school's football practice field, I used to kind of regret that, ha, ha! As WD would say, "bones never lie"!
MikeTheTiger writes:
SPOT ON! As usual Mike Griffith lets his personal love for coaches and athletes cloud his stories. "Gee, coach calls me Mike, so I can't say anything negative." The story is the lies Mike, not the number of phone calls.
volfan#207874 writes:
I can remember when you could buy a one pound loaf of bread for .10 and a smaller loaf 1/2 lb?) for .05. I do not remember a drink called Tiny. I do remember a small grape drink called Grapette. It was small and was not more than 6 oz. (maybe 4 oz.?) The jingle on the radio went something like this:
"Begging your pardon but have you met
the big little bottle by the name of Grapette?
It's a nickle a bottle and it chills in a minute.
A big little bottle with a taste thrill in it."
Oh, and by the way, bologna wasn't sliced in those days...the grocer just cut you off a chunk,coming as near as he could to the poundage that you requested. Also there was a time during WWII that you could not buy sliced bread..it came as the full loaf. Talk about some chunky sandwitches!
Ahh, but I am telling my age, aren't I?
VOLliven2it writes:
It looks like we are in no go mode, with no one being held accountable for the multi-investigations with the athletic department. It is embarrassing and will probably cost us more and more as time goes on. Carelessness and being a liar equals NCAA coming down hard. Now tell us what the baseball team has done.
Ironcity writes:
Chat if you bring up the same article every week or the same violation every day, it doesn't make it any worse then the first time. What this latest article suggest is the phone call issue has already been addressed and discharged by the NCAA. The issue of lying is the only issue out there. UT has already started its punishment for this. If the NCAA comes down hard on UT for notifying them and then dealing with it immediately, then no one will ever be up front with the NCAA. As for the top recruits we have two top 100 players that said they are coming no matter what. As for other players when has it stopped top teams from getting top players in the past?
Volumnus writes:
Good post you are correct in everything you say. My only concern is that with a 3 pronged investigation concerning FB, BB and Hoops, that the old "preponderance of occurrences" issue will come up. The bone to throw the NCAA is a change in the AD position. Hamilton will pay because that is considered lack of control. I don't see anything serious, except Pearl going street stupid and lying. But a whole lot of minor infractions tend to irritate the NCAA, because of the length of the report and their short attention spans. In view of that I will not be surprised at loss of post season privileges and some scholarships.... Hope my concern is unfounded.
halloffamebowler writes:
My dad used to ask me if I wanted to go to the store with him for a Red Dope and a Moon Pie.What a silly question that was.I sometimes had a Nehi orange or grape.
halloffamebowler writes:
I believe Pearl does have a national championship.D11.
NeylandWest writes:
Absolutely correct - many programs make extra calls. I don't think that's the big deal. If we, as fans, knew about every infraction committed by a university, then I think we'd be blown away by how small this violation is.
The lie, though, is huge.
Volencheaters writes:
You idiots just dont seem to get it. The phone calls is petty, the 48 hour official visit thing is worthless. It is the fact he lied! Newsflash! Dez Bryant lied about having dinner with someone! This would not be a story worthy of front page articles nationwide if he did not lie!
Volencheaters writes:
KY could care less about pearl. 4 out 5 the past two years, they hope he stays! Plus UK never has to call recruits, they call us
ATLHOOPSCOACH writes:
BRUCE PEARL HAS FOLLOWERS LIKE "JIM JONES" HAD... THEY WILL BE WITH HIM TO THE END....ANYTHING HE SAY OR DO.. THEY BELIEVE......JUST DON'T DRINK THE ORANGE KOOL AID.....
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