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Photo by Saul Young
Former Tennessee football coach Lane Kiffin
Photo by AP Photo / Ed Reinke
Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl yells to his team during the first half of their NCAA college basketball game against Kentucky, Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011, in Lexington, Ky.
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The University of Tennessee's long awaited Notice of Allegations from the NCAA landed in the school's mailbox Tuesday, released to public Wednesday and will set the program in action for the next three months before it defends itself against 12 major violations.
In a 26-page document that included phrases such as "failure to promote an atmosphere of compliance," and numerous references to unethical conduct, UT's football and men's basketball programs were cited for the violations, which largely had been reported in the past few months and featured few new details.
Men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl and former football coach Lane Kiffin were the main targets in the document, which did not reveal any potential punishments or sanctions.
The UT baseball team also was investigated by the NCAA, but no charges were levied against the program.
"Any allegation from the NCAA is a serious matter for us," UT chancellor Jimmy Cheek said in statement released by UT. "We will address these issues in a timely manner. As an institution, we have been proactive in dealing with these allegations, and we will continue to cooperate fully with the NCAA."
The Vols will have 90 days to respond to the allegations. The university's appearance before the NCAA's Committee on Infractions in Indianapolis is anticipated to be during the committee's meeting on June 10 and 11.
In a letter to Cheek, NCAA representative Julie Roe Lach all but ruled out a chance for UT to settle the investigation in a summary disposition. The COI will comprise 12 representatives who hail from all over the country and have diverse backgrounds.
The decision from that meeting could take months before the investigation is finally closed.
"Receipt of the NCAA's Notice of Allegations by the University of Tennessee is another step in bringing this matter to a conclusion," UT athletic director Mike Hamilton said in a statement. "Our institution has operated in complete cooperation with the NCAA since April 2009 as they have pursued their investigation.
"We take these allegations seriously and most items noted in this document have already been reported broadly. I would like to thank the NCAA enforcement staff for their professionalism and guidance during the process."
Pearl was slapped with "impermissible contact with prospective student-athletes during an unofficial visit, acting contrary to the principles of ethical conduct, failure to promote an atmosphere of compliance, and failure to monitor the activities regarding compliance of all assistant coaches within the men's basketball program."
His assistant coaches, who, like Pearl, have already had their salary docked when UT self-sanctioned the program, are accused of "failure to furnish full and complete information relevant to the investigation."
The 10 major violations levied against Pearl and the men's basketball program stem mostly from the 96 impermissible calls he and his assistants made to a number of recruits, most notably including Aaron Craft and Josh Selby. Pearl also was cited for improperly hosting recruits at his house for a barbecue in 2008 because unofficial visitors are supposed to remain on campus.
Because of those impermissible phone calls, UT also was alleged to have failed to monitor the staff in order to ensure compliance with NCAA telephone contact legislation.
What happened in the months after the barbecue is what could land Pearl and the Vols in the hottest water, as Pearl and his assistants - Steve Forbes, Jason Shay and Tony Jones - were alleged to have misled NCAA investigators and "failed to protect the integrity of the investigation."
In a June 2010 interview with NCAA investigators, Pearl denied knowledge of the location in a photograph of him and Craft at his barbecue and also denied knowing the identity of another woman in the photograph, who turned out to be Shay's wife. On that same day, Pearl placed a phone call to Craft's father, John, and reminded him that it was a violation for his family to attend the cookout.
Pearl's conversation with John Craft caused the father "to believe that Pearl was trying to influence (Craft's) statements to the NCAA enforcement staff," according to the document.
In an emotional September press conference, Pearl, who went through a second round of interviews with NCAA investigators in which he confessed to lying in his previous meeting, admitted to providing inaccurate and incomplete information upon UT's receipt of a NCAA letter of inquiry.
In a proactive punishment, Hamilton docked Pearl's salary by $1.5 million over the next five years and his three assistants had their respective salaries slashed by 25 percent.
SEC commissioner Mike Slive took one step further with Pearl on Nov. 19, suspending the coach for the first eight conference games this season. Pearl's contract was voided and he is currently working under a letter of appointment.
Four days after the September press conference, Pearl and Jones committed a secondary violation when they made impermissible contact with Jordan Adams of Lawrenceville, Ga., on a visit to Oak Hill Academy, according to the document.
"Throughout this process we have recognized that we made significant mistakes and we look forward to concluding this matter with the NCAA," Pearl said in a statement. "The penalties imposed on our program to date have been severe, but I want to commend our student-athletes and staff for staying focused and working through these potential distractions.
"The support of our fans and administration has been amazing and appreciated by me and my entire family and reminds me every day why I have the best job in the nation. I appreciate the opportunity to serve the University of Tennessee and everyone in our basketball program is focused on finding ways to improve every day."
Kiffin, who left UT last January for the same position at Southern Cal, received the bulk of the NCAA's accusations against the football program, as he was cited specifically for "failure to promote an atmosphere of compliance within the football program and failure to monitor the activities regarding compliance of several assistant coaches." He also was singled out for permitting a football recruiting intern, Steve Rubio, to make impermissible contact with high school staff during a recruiting visit to St. Thomas Aquinas High in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
The trip occurred after UT's director of football operations at the time, David Blackburn, informed both Kiffin and Rubio that Rubio was not permitted to cross into the school's property while accompanying the coach.
Between Jan. 3-9 of 2010, UT's football staff also made 16 impermissible phone calls with prospects Brandon Willis, Seantrel Henderson and Ahmad Dixon and other current Vols whose names were redacted from the document.
The current players' names were redacted because of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, a UT spokesman said.
Former assistant coach David Reaves, who is Kiffin's brother-in-law, also was cited for allegations relating to impermissible contacts with prospective student-athletes.
"On the advice of my legal counsel, we cannot comment other than to say we look forward to working through the process with the NCAA," Kiffin said in a statement released by USC.
Andrew Gribble may be reached at 865-342-6327. Follow him at http://twitter.com/Andrew_Gribble and http://blogs.knoxnews.com/gribble
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Comments » 95
BigVolinCarolina writes:
How many times will KNS recycle the same content under a different headline?
tovolny writes:
Go to the Columbus Dispatch's buckeyextra.com if you want accurate, up to date information. The Charlotte Observer and the Atlanta paper report accurate information. Even ESPN doesn't beat the dead horse here. The KNS, America's worst newspaper, is determined to report this as negatively as possible. KNS think they can carve up snakes and make UT fans think they are cleaning trout.
I am convinced that KNS cost us 5 to 6 athletes per year. They take pride in being able to put the dirt between the lines. With KNS, it doesn't matter if it is fact or not...it only has to put the negative shadow on UT.
I don't like what KNS has done with the GVX247 train wreck. Do you? Why would anyone want to pay for stale information? There is more free information on recruiting than a person can read in 3 or 4 hours...I am talking about UT recruiting information.
If they would just give us the facts and not get creative and rhetorical, I think I could read GVX without wondering what the FUDGE are the trying to say.
KNS brags about being selected 20th out of 38 sports town newspapers...can you believe it?
BigHouse_of_IceGulp writes:
I am totally embarrassed of our (past)football and basketball coaching staffs. I'm more embarrassed of the athletic director that permitted such activity.
VolWoman writes:
Andrew - do you have good UT contacts yet? You've done a great job - people with sourcees at UT say the Compliance Office determined there was no violation on the incident four days later. Shouldn't your article say "alleged" until they can respond?
TitanandVolfan4life writes:
4 days AFTER Pearl admitted he lied he did it AGAIN and intentionally broke the recruiting rules by going down to Georgia.
Our football program has already been purged and has a new staff that will abide by the rules.
Pearl has lied and proven over and over that he's dishonest and can no longer be trusted.
Now's the time to send Pearl and his staff off the hill as soon as this season is finished.
Recruiting will suffer badly by keeping a known and admitted LIAR that consistently breaks the rules running our basketball program and we don't need that kind of phooey at UT!!!
There's other really good up and coming basketball coaches that would love to come to Tennessee and build a solid program like our Lady Vols have done.
Mike hamilton also should get the boot and get a new AD in that will hire a good BB coach and get our program back on the right track.
I've had more than enough of the negative press that's hurting our recruiting for all our sports programs.
Clean house NOW and lets get good people that recruits and their families will trust and our programs won't have these kinds of problems again.
VFL...GO BIG ORANGE!!!
Kasey writes:
These are not mistakes - it is an attitude of the rules don't apply to them, and it starts at the top with Hamilton. The repetiveness shows they are more than mistakes but serious character flaws of Hamilton and the people he hires.
Maverickman writes:
FIRE EMMM ALL let the NCAA sort emm out
volscantball writes:
Failure?
You think?
Hamilton, Pearl, Surfer Boy
The three musketeers.
Rocky Top?
Rocky Not.
volscantball writes:
Four days after Pearl cries at his press conference he knowingly goes out and has impermissable contact with yet another recruit. Read the charges and take a look at the dates of the accusations. Amazing.
And to Rocky Top it off, the school allowed Pearl to continue to recruit for two weeks AFTER it hit the fan. The school is going to get hammered as well.
Wake up Rocky Top.
You ain't seen bad... but it's a comin'.
WaltGoVols writes:
Mike Hamilton should resign or be fired.
Walt Miller
UT '81
WaltGoVols writes:
Pearl should be shown the door as well.
What Kiffin and Pearl did says wonders about how they felt about Hamilton, their boss. This is our glimpse into the inner working of the Athletic Department and it ain't pretty.
Hamilton has damaged our university so badly. He will cling and claw and refuse to go. -His- bosses need to act.
Walt
UT '81
WaltGoVols writes:
I bet Coach Fulmer is feeling pretty Phat about now.
Walt
UT '81
hewwheel writes:
When it gets this widespread it has to fall back on administration. Of course, Tennessee has had several presidents over this period of time. However, current administration needs to make the move and punish or remove Mr. Hamilton from his position.
CCLC writes:
"… But what of Hamilton? Under his watch, one of the nation’s proudest athletic programs has deteriorated into one of its most shameful. Will Tennessee chancellor Jimmy Cheek go along with the illusion that the football mess can be blamed entirely on that mercenary scoundrel Kiffin, and that reducing Pearl’s salary last fall was an adequate show of force? Or, will he do the right thing: recognize that Hamilton was ultimately Pearl’s and Kiffin’s greatest enabler; that Hamilton’s department is a textbook example of the risks of allowing splashy head coaches the freedom to act as their own freewheeling autocrats; and that ultimately Hamilton and his whole department should be replaced and rebuilt?" Stewart Mandel
budd#207344 writes:
I live in atlanta. I used to read the atlanta paper and it sucks. If you do not like this paper and its reporting don't read it. but they do no better or worse than any others. And please don't even try to defend espn. It has become the huffington post of sports
ClassicVol writes:
You'd never find this story line on GVX247.
VOLHEAD writes:
Say what you want, but I'm still a Vol. I'll always be a Vol throught thick and thin.
PeeEllthree writes:
Yeah, he had no idea what was going on with Alvin, Pickens, Carter, Hobby, Cobb, etc. So the deal is that it's not a lie, unless you fess up to something. Not coming forward or not admitting (Calhoun) to infractions is fine and less punishable. Deny, deny, deny, and your character will be held up, regardless of your guilt.
maddawg writes:
TN just needs to clean house and while they're at it they should get a new color scheme. Whats the deal with the puke orange color?? Did TN get last pick way back when on the day colors were handed out to colleges? hahahah can't wear that ugly shirt anywhere except to a game.
the58vol writes:
We really have a poor reporting medium in the KNS. How many times can you pound on the same Big Orange Horse? No more noise can come out of that carcass!
While we talk about the high level of embarrassment we feel over these incidents, let's include the KNS and it's so called writers!!! Now that's embarrassment at this highest level!!
GBO
WaltGoVols writes:
More on target info from espn.com:
"At no point, however, does the document mention the man who should ultimately be held responsible for fielding two such dysfunctional, rule-breaking programs; the man who hired both coaches, then stood back and let them make a mockery of the NCAA rule book. Somehow, athletic director Mike Hamilton has escaped the NCAA's wrath despite his two most high-profile employees' complete disregard for the most basic tenets of compliance."
If you are in charge you are responsible.
Those who are in charge need to send our bean counting AD on his way.
Walt
UT '81
Witch_Doctors writes:
Witch Doctor say the really bad thing is we gonna have to wade through 30 rehashed stories/different angles like this one from KNS the next few months.
Bones never lie.
richvol writes:
I wonder if Hamilton offered to cut his own salary by 25% since he was culpable too. In his defense it takes a little while to determine if one of your hires is a person of integrity. Kiffin was barely here long enough to establish a track record but in spite of his short tenure he managed to show tendencies toward the dark side very early. One gives someone the benefit of the doubt at first but Kiffin was dirty from the beginning.
Pearl was arrogant and stupid...that's all I have to say about him.
Highlands_Whisky writes:
You're right. It's so much more fun to wade through ridiculous commentary like yours and the 50% of the board that has become trolls. I am a member of the pay site and the news is worth it. So is the access to the writers.
You bash the free stuff, and then turn around and bash the premium stuff as well. Where exactly do you come down?
the58vol writes:
Did they give you a coupon for a free subscription to say that?
finn writes:
58, I agree with you 100% with one exception. KNS is not alone. I also follow Iowa Hawkeye football and you wouldn't believe the way their 'local' media handled the 13 players getting Rhabdo after a workout. You would have thought the players had been poisoned by the coaching staff. In general, I don't think local reporting exists anymore. Either these guys are in league with a national sports reporting arm (ie247 sports) or they are so desperate to break the story before some other azzclown on twitter that there is zero vetting (aka..journalism involved.) College sports has become little more than a revenue stream for huge corps (ie.ESPN) and they are going to do whatever they can to corner that market and that means controlling access just like the pathetic GVX pay-site. Pay-per-clicks is the new objective and fair and balanced journalism can never compete with shock-and-awe tactics like including "FAILURE" in headlines and re-hashing the same subject matter over and over again. Remember the SwiperBoy Video scandal a few months back??? Case in point. While KNS is quickly becoming a purveyor of tripe, they are not the only ones and probably not the worst either. The only solution is to go cold turkey and stop supporting them but the fact that we're both on the site indicates our 12 step program ain't working.
thevoice writes:
Nice. What bothers me the most is that our own attorneys/compliance office warned Kiffin that at least some of his recruiting plans appeared non-compliant, but Kiffin did them anyway. That has been documented and not "IMO." Sounds to me like it's more than just Kiffin. Hamilton the man is fine, but Hamilton the AD is not.
CCLC writes:
I don't believe I would have told that.......
just sayin'
TommyJack writes:
Walt. The original Philmoron.
TommyJack writes:
Gribble: I like Gribble. But that headline writer is just too cutesy by half. Trite, corny, etc.
utclassof1992 writes:
I got cussed, threatened, told to find another team, etc., etc., when I was trying to comment on the apparent loss of control and the unethical behavior of the athletic program when Kiffin and the band of NCAA fugitives came here back in 2008-09. Still get dogged out every time I comment on the sorry state of affairs on the Hill right now. I would like to feel horrible about what is about to occur to my alma mater. But I cannot. We brought it on ourselves. Trying to catch the lightning in a bottle. Chasing the new hotness. Now we get to pay the price. Hope the Lane Train side of the fanbase is happy and enjoys what is about to unfold. The NCAA is about to take a chunk out of two of our programs. Probably will be about 2016 before we recover, if they stay consistent to form with the recruiting restrictions and scholarship sanctions. Mike Hamilton, you brought this pestilence into our house, and you need to pay by losing your job. Pearl, please resign before you kill UT basketball for 10 years. Time to get some orange blood back in the athletic department and get back to being Tennessee instead of looking like a desperate old maid chasing the next rich husband.
firemikehamiltonnow.com
utclassof1992 writes:
Knowing what kind of person Coach Fulmer is, I can say with some degree of certainty that he is probably suffering worse than the fan base is. He loved this place, and still does. He still tries to promote his alma mater with class and dignity. His graduation speech was an example of keeping your head above bitterness. I bet CPF has a heavy heart right now.
Tennesseeato writes:
I still haven't seen any effort to explain all of the redactions. I get the "Sharpie"-redactions -- kids' names and the like. What no one from the KNS has even seemed to bother to ask about are the completely whited-out portions. For hoops it's the following sections: 1.a.; 1.b.; 1.h.; 1.k.; and 4.a. And the following pages: 6, 7, and half of 8. Those are protecting privacy of anyone. That's something entirely different.
WaltGoVols writes:
Treating Coach Fulmer the way he did was the first indication we had of just how incompetent, venal and ineffective - clueless - that Hamilton was, and remains.
I absolutely believe Coach Fulmer should have had another year to right the FB ship.
Things could hardly be worse for the Athletics Department right now, and that slide started when Coach Fulmer was dismissed.
Walt
UT '81
utclassof1992 writes:
Steve Pedersen=Mike Hamilton. Both worked closely together here in the early 1990s. Pedersen took a long wizz on Nebraska tradition. Let Bill Callahan take down all the past awards and images around the Nebraska football facility. Made former lettermen feel unwelcome in an effort to promote a "new breed" mentality. Hamilton-let Kiffin play USC videos around the football complex and remove a lot of our past images and awards in an effort to promote a "new breed" mentality. Let Kiffin run off at the mouth and break NCAA rules. Did NOTHING to stop him. Time for another similarity. They ran Pedersen out of Lincoln on a rail. Your turn, Hammy.
firemikehamiltonnow.com
CCLC writes:
Anytime you fire a coach ....you are rolling the dice.
jimr07 writes:
I am enbarassed by you.
utclassof1992 writes:
You nailed that one.
jimr07 writes:
The new "journalism" thrives on controversy and new "reporters" try to make a name for themselves with negativity. There are no reporters but muck rakers. KNS is the worst i have seen.
jimr07 writes:
Sounds like your time of the month.
utclassof1992 writes:
You know, this just goes to show you what happens when a man with no athletic background is allowed to run an athletic department. Doug Dickey understood both sides of the equation. Tennessee was an athletic program to him, not a brand. Hammy sees UT as a corporate brand and entity. All about the bottom line. Hammy would sell ads on the players jockstraps if he thought he could turn a profit. If it were up to Hammy, our uniforms would look like Mexican soccer jerseys with all the sponsor logos. I still am awaiting "the Pride of the Southland forms the T...brought to you (blank)" over the stadium PA. Or, "KY Jelly....a Tennessee Tradition". Nothing is sacred to this guy.
firemikehamiltonnow.com
jimr07 writes:
all you guys that keep saying fulmer should have had one more year. what if the next year had been as bad as his last? the question is when is enough , enough?
utclassof1992 writes:
Honestly, if 2009 had gone like 2008, I would have said it was time. CPF made a bad hire at OC with Dave Clawson, and he knew it. When you fire a coach 10 months after he takes you to a conference championship game, it is not a good thing in karma's eyes.
orangeman1 writes:
I agree. He probably hates the negative light the Univesity he loves and gave so much to is receiving. I would bet that he is hoping Hamilton will suffer the consequences, but that doesnt appear to be happening. At what point does the president of the University decide enough is enough. Or are they just concerned with Hamilton keeping the AD making a profit? He hired Pearl and Kiffin and both have given UT more than enough negative publicity, and it isnt even over yet.
utclassof1992 writes:
If Hamilton rides it out with Pearl, the NCAA is going to use the big hammer on us. I am waiting for the "show cause" to get dropped on Pearl. Everyone crows about how good a coach he is and how much he has done. I agree, he is a good coach. However, he has not done much more than a guy named Jerry Green did here, and we ran him off because he wasn't a nice guy and could not get past the Sweet Sixteen. We paid for that with the Buzz Peterson era. Green at least kept us out of trouble and did not lie to the NCAA. That is what is going to hurt us. When you lie to the NCAA, they take it very personal, and we will be lucky if they dont take the right to wear orange jerseys away from us, especially if Hammy does not fire him.
CCLC writes:
"He’s a businessman first, manager second. His background before his current gig was primarily in fund raising and marketing, which can be both a blessing and a curse. Under his watch, Tennessee has more than doubled its fund raising revenue, struck lucrative licensing and endorsement deals and undergone massive facilities upgrades…"
utclassof1992 writes:
....and failed to promote an atmosphere of staff control and compliance with NCAA standards.
adimatteo#261830 writes:
At the risk of repeating myself(I replied yesterday but do not believe it came thru), let me share my two-cents.
Full disclousre,... I love UT and having met, CBP and seeing what did for this school, loved him too.
CBP did a lot for UT, gave everyone hope and reignited the sport especially when we were all dealing with the Kiffin debacle.
Nevertheless as high as he took us, he has also brought us down, to signicicant negative pr, etc, by doing something intentionally... That is key, this is not about a barbecue to me, he lied when he thought he could get away with it.
With all the accountabiity we impose on our student/athletes who are 20-40 years younger than these coaches, his behavior cannot be ignored.
I believe he should be terminated for what he did to UT..Additonally, to all who blame Hamilton, I do not know that answer, but I am willing to bet that no one , when he was first hired, thought Kiffin would leave in one year, nor did anyone believe CBP would do anything like this...
abnermc writes:
What about RED panties?lol
VOLSGURLINCHARLOTTE writes:
I am just guessing from your screen name that you are a little bulldog puppy fan. Actually, since our football program started back in 1891, we probably could have picked about any color we wanted. We decided on the beautiful shade of orange to freak out people just like you and apparently it works. Maybe you guys should think about getting a new mascot since apparently UGA hates representing your university since he keeps expiring. I have and will always wear my awesome Tennessee Vols shirt with pride. GO VOLS!
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