Curious how many of you would like to see Bruce Pearl as our next basketball coach.

[wmcovol]

No, Tennessee has moved on and should. Plus his staff at Auburn, led by Steven Pearl, isn’t quality. No thanks.

 

[DuckInAPen]

The polling may be skewed by the sample of fans who frequent the forum after wins. You might revive it after our next loss and see what you get.

 

[TrippVol]

There's no way I want Pearl back. I didn't in 2014 either.

 

[VOLtaism]

Why are we even talking about the next UT coach? Seems extremely disrespectful to Barnes and his staff considering all that he has accomplished here and has continued to do so.

Tell me what Pearl has accomplished here other than an elite 8? Barnes has the better record, just not post season.

Even when Barnes beats Pearl, you get posts like this.

.
Barnes is my guy but Bruce breathed life back into a dead program. I still remember the embarrassing black curtains reducing the arena size and it was still empty. His carnival barker style put asses in seats, bringing pizza to students in line, challenging Florida and winning, shirtless for the women's game. His first 2 years were fantastic just to sniff the possibility of being relevant again. I will never forget those teams. Then he self-destructed on his fame. IMO he did a lot.

 

[Vols till I fall]

.
Barnes is my guy but Bruce breathed life back into a dead program. I still remember the embarrassing black curtains reducing the arena size and it was still empty. His carnival barker style put asses in seats, bringing pizza to students in line, challenging Florida and winning, shirtless for the women's game. His first 2 years were fantastic just to sniff the possibility of being relevant again. I will never forget those teams. Then he self-destructed on his fame. IMO he did a lot.

Pearl made a terrible basketball team somewhat relevant

Barnes has stabilized us into a relevant winning program

I'll take what we have now over entertainment and theater.

Pearl was good here at the time, we have our coach now

 

[berryvol]

Curious how many of you would like to see Bruce Pearl as our next basketball coach. I’ll start by raising my hand. Pearl put Tennessee basketball back on the map which was no easy feat. I met him shortly after he was hired in 2005 at the Reebok ABCD camp in Hackensack, New Jersey. O.J. Mayo and Kevin Love were the big prospects there. Tubby Smith, Jim Boeheim and other big name coaches were there sitting in the stands at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Told my wife “look… It’s Bruce Pearl sitting up there by himself.“ We plopped down next to him and started a conversation. He couldn’t have been more engaging and passionate about Tennessee despite having just been hired. I told him how we camped out in line for Kentucky tickets during the early 80s with Dale Ellis, Michael Brooks and crew and how wild Stokely Athletic Center was in those days. He looked me dead in the eye and said “I’m going to do everything in my power to get it back to that.“ I could tell he absolutely meant it. You know what? He did. He actually did one better making poorly-designed, acoustically-challenged, non-intimidating TBA a home court advantage. He also knows how to coach deep into the NCAA tournament. Enough water has passed under the bridge. Bruce Pearl should succeed (the fairly-soon retiring) Rick Barnes. Same salary as Barnes is reasonable.. He’s a VFL. Can’t have much more skin here than he had. He had hot chicks on his boat on the Tennessee River and his wife divorced him and turned gangsta naming her hair salon “Alimony.“. Sounds like a very Tennessee thing.

Delete your account

 

[vols 30]

Why do some people believe there is a secret club of Vol fans who want Pearl back?

Vol fan #1 - " Do you like coach Pearl?"

Vol fan #2 - " yeah, I like him and I appreciate what he did here"

Vol fan #1 - " based on your answer, you must hate Barnes and want Pearl back."

Vol fan #2 - "I didn't say that at all."

Vol fan #1 - "too late"

 

[VolGee4]

Pearl made a terrible basketball team somewhat relevant

Barnes has stabilized us into a relevant winning program

I'll take what we have now over entertainment and theater.

Pearl was good here at the time, we have our coach now

Pearl was very good, but he inherited some talent- NBA PG and our school’s best shooter. That first year was much better than expected, but Barnes inherited a much worse situation.

 

[berryvol]

No, Tennessee has moved on and should. Plus his staff at Auburn, led by Steven Pearl, isn’t quality. No thanks.

I hope I’ve done enough good in my life for my prayers to be answered that Steven be auburn’s next HC.

 

[BisonVol]

Heck to the no. That bridge has been permanently burned. Pearl had his chance here and screwed up. Time for some of you Pearl lovers to move on.

 

[PureOrange]

No, no no. Pearl was a snitch then turned into cheater himself.

 

[Rememberthelate90s]

No

 

[DuckInAPen]

This is like one of those elections that Saddam used to win! We may need some international observers up in here.

 

[AthensVol2007]

I’m having too much fun beating him

We’re 5-6 vs him since he’s been at AU so it’s not been that fun.

 

[Namorto1]

Hard no on Pearl. It was great while it lasted but he is a slime ball. Even in the new age of NIL I bet he gets Auburn into trouble.

 

[Jersey Moonshine]

Just dumb. Only on VN can a losing coach be elevated over the coach that just beat him.

OP probably still on the Lane Kiffin train.

I am not. That’s a totally fair question, though.

 

[jtdavis]

nope.

 

[aaronvol]

This post is interesting to say the least.

 

[OrangeInKy]

I'd rather drink bleach mixed with cyanide, then add some of that hipster sparkling water, just to make it really bad

 

[OrangeInKy]

Threw his assistants under the bus. Starts Steven effin’ Pearl instead of Maymon. Hung around Knoxville being an attention hoe instead of being quiet and letting Cuonzo do his job. Filling the roster up with thugs he recruited. Lied to the NCAA. Lied to his bosses at UT. It’s ridiculous to ever mention the possibility of bringing him back to coach UT. Barn is a good spot for him. They deserve each other.

PREEEEAAACCCCHHHHHH

also still gripes about being fired (forgetting that UT gave him a million bucks while his staff got nothing and got canned b/c he made them lie, and when interviewed about Lofton having his jersey retired, sneaks it in there again while making it about himself. Because that's what he does and who he is. He's a punk and a clown and this question is odd and ill timed.

 

[ttocswob]

Been there done that - staying with Coach Rick Barnes, thanx.

 

[OrangeInKy]

No. He’s an embarrassing side show, carnival barker. He looks like a gorilla patrolling the sidelines (and standing on the court).

you just won my heart

 

[DowntownVol]

Why do some people believe there is a secret club of Vol fans who want Pearl back?

Vol fan #1 - " Do you like coach Pearl?"

Vol fan #2 - " yeah, I like him and I appreciate what he did here"

Vol fan #1 - " based on your answer, you must hate Barnes and want Pearl back."

Vol fan #2 - "I didn't say that at all."

Vol fan #1 - "too late"

uhhhh... did you not read the OP? He's not alone. There are a lot of sadly misguided people who would trade Barnes for Pearl right now, no questions asked.

 

[wmcovol]

I hope I’ve done enough good in my life for my prayers to be answered that Steven be auburn’s next HC.

You’ve probably lived a good life but unless BP wins a Natty there, that’s not likely.

 

[berryvol]

You’ve probably lived a good life but unless BP wins a Natty there, that’s not likely.

I know for a fact he’s gotten a few non P5 offers and turned them down. I don’t think it’s the most unlikely scenario in the world that they hand him the keys if he stays with Bruce the next 6 years.