Bruce Pearl appears to be that rarest of individuals.
He makes a creamsicle sport coat look good.
Oh, and the Tennessee men’s basketball coach — up to this point, at least — appears to have been able to lie to the NCAA and get away with it.
That’s huge, isn’t it? Lying to NCAA investigators, you remember, had previously been established as the cardinal sin of amateur sports. It’s what got Oklahoma State (now Dallas Cowboys) receiver Dez Bryant suspended for most of the 2009 season, effectively ending his college career.
Oh, yes, Pearl had been forced by the Southeastern Conference to miss several games, earlier this season, as penance. But basically, so what? Slap, meet wrist.
Well, Wednesday, news broke on the NCAA’s official notice of allegations against Tennessee, and Pearl is buuuuuuuuuuuuusted. He is accused, among other things, of “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.”
Also, failure to wear a shirt at a UT women’s game.
(Well, it should have been in there.)
Major violation after major violation. Most damning, the big one: He lied to the NCAA. He’s just short of getting his own “30 for 30.”
So now maybe we’ll see: What the heck does a major-college, BCS-conference coach have to do to get in real trouble with the NCAA? If you look good in orange (mainly because you’re winning) why NOT play fast and loose?
What’s the worst thing that could happen?
Isn’t everything about coaching strategy about risk-reward?
Pearl is about as busted as you can get, and Tennessee is already on record that it is firmly behind him. It sounds like Pearl’s job is safe short of being caught with a dead girl or a live boy. (There are a number of pictures on the Internet of Pearl with live girls, so he’s good there.)
When Pearl was earlier suspended eight conference games by the SEC for many of the same allegations leveled this week by the NCAA, Tennessee chancellor Jimmy Cheek said, “Bruce is our coach, and he's going to be our coach for many years. We're going to get through this adversity.”
Ahem. “Adversity.” That word gets thrown around a lot these days. Is it really adversity if it’s your own fault?
There is the old saying, “Don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining.” On that note, Don’t pee on your own leg and call it adversity.
Hey, I’ve always liked what I’ve seen of Pearl. He seems like a fun guy, the kind of feel-good character college basketball needs. (Have you seen the yearbook picture of him with the Afro? I love that guy!) And man, he does make that orange jacket thing work.
Everyone not on Tennessee’s schedule wants to love Bruce Pearl.
But today he’s the face of playing fast and loose. Today he’s the poster boy of, “Go for it, what’s the worst that could happen?”
And really, if you’re a coach looking to make your splash, why not? How far do you have to go to get in real trouble?
Take giant of the game Jim Calhoun at UConn. He was recently busted for failing to provide an atmosphere of compliance, which sounds pretty severe in NCAA gobbledygook. That’s about as bad as it gets, right?
No ban on postseason play. He misses three games, a knee slapper of a wrist slapper. And he gets to be indignant about it.
“I am very disappointed with the NCAA's decision in this case,” a Calhoun statement said. “My lawyer and I are evaluating my options and will make a decision which way to proceed.”
Evaluating his options? How about this one? Now — and this is just a suggestion — how about following the rules?
But then, he is, isn’t he? This is the way it works. Even Urban Meyer (eye roll) said as much recently. Coaches know it.
(And if nothing else, it’s unspoken that everyone knows you’re really trying to win.)
Why not go for it? What’s the worst thing that could happen? You show contrition, or you circle the wagons and play the martyr and it blows over.
Pearl is betting on it. Maybe the NCAA will really nail him for this, for once. But odds favor crimes against fashion taking him down first.
