Former Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl has turned down owner Donnie Nelson’s offer to coach the D-League Texas Legends, citing a desire to remain with his children and enter the private sector in Knoxville.
The Knoxville News Sentinel reported early this afternoon that Pearl accepted a job as vice president of marketing with Tennessee-based wholesale grocer H.T. Hackney Co.
The company’s chairman, Bill Sansom, formerly sat on the board of trustees at Tennessee, which fired Pearl in March after he admitted misleading NCAA investigators who were looking at recruiting irregularities at the school.
“I’ve known Bruce Pearl for years — his leadership, competitiveness and understanding of marketing is a great fit for our organization,” Sansom said in a statement released by the company.
— Reported by Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News
