More trouble for Tennessee

**MULECHOPS** Wed Feb 23, 2011 12:30 pm

Report: Tennessee receives notice of allegations from NCAA

Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl could be further sanctioned by the NCAA after the SEC suspended him for eight games this season.
Athletic director Mike Hamilton said the information would be made public once it was received.

"We've been pretty consistent that when we get a final document we'll release it as quickly as possible," Hamilton said in a text message to the paper Tuesday night. "(That's) still the case.''

Volunteers basketball coach Bruce Pearl is expected to be accused of unethical conduct. Pearl admitted to lying to NCAA investigators about an in-home visit by prospects -- high-school juniors -- that violated NCAA rules.

The school has already taken action against Pearl by cutting his pay by $1.5 million over five years and banning him from off-campus recruiting for one year. The SEC punished the coach by suspending him for the first eight conference games this season.

The NCAA could accept these sanctions or add further penalties, but that step of the process is well off. According to ESPN, Tennessee will go before the NCAA Committee on Infractions in June. That means a decision on punishment for all parties involved -- including Pearl and former coach Lane Kiffin -- would likely not be handed down until August at the earliest.

The story also reports basketball assistant coaches Jason Shay, Steve Forbes and Tony Jones were cited for failing to uphold the high standards of sportsmanship and honesty during the interview process. The trio had their pay reduced and also had limitations on off-campus recruiting by the school in September.

Violations in the football program are centered around the conduct Kiffin, who spent one season with the Volunteers before taking the Southern California job in January of 2010.

A story by FanHouse earlier this month said Kiffin would be charged with failure to monitor the program after Volunteers coaches and student hostesses made improper recruiting contacts.

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