Bruce Pearl Trades Hoops for Groceries

Ex-Tennessee Volunteers coach Bruce Pearl is stepping away from basketball for the time being, turning down coaching job with the NBDL's Texas Legends (and a rumored analyst position at ESPN) to become the vice president of marketing at H.T. Hackney Co., a wholesale grocery company.

Pearl cited family concerns - he has two children in high school, and his wife is from the Knoxville area - as the reason for turning down other offers.

Of course, another coaching gig in the NCAA probably isn't an option for the time being; Pearl was hit with the dreaded "show cause" penalty for his part in recruiting violations and a subsequent cover-up and is more-or-less un-hireable for the next three years.

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Bruce Pearl Hit with Three-Year "Show Cause" Penalty

Ex-Tennessee basketball coach Bruce Pearl has been hit with a three-year "show cause" penalty for his role in the recruiting violations and subsequent cover-up that ended his tenure with the Vols.

The "show cause" penalty is the harshest the NCAA can levy on an individual. That status means any institution wishing to hire Pearl must appear before the NCAA Committee on Infractions and explain the hiring decision, and potentially face sanctions as a result. No Division I institution has ever taken that step. In fact, only one coach in Division I men's basketball history - Morgan State's Todd Bozeman - has ever landed a head coaching job after being hit with the "show cause" penalty.

Pearl's "show cause" status expires on August 23, 2014. Three of his assistant coaches - Tony Jones, Steve Forbes and Jason Shay - received the same penalty, but with a one-year duration.

Of course, just because he can't work in the NCAA doesn't mean Pearl won't be spending any time in basketball gyms for the next three years. The controversial coach reportedly has an offer to take over the Texas Legends - the D-League affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks.

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