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10 times Tennessee Vols athletics raised fans hopes too high

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 12: Lane Kiffin, head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers talks in the press conference after a game against the UCLA Bruins on September 12, 2009 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. UCLA beat Tennessee 19-15. (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 12: Lane Kiffin, head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers talks in the press conference after a game against the UCLA Bruins on September 12, 2009 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. UCLA beat Tennessee 19-15. (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images /

3. Bruce Pearl firing, men’s basketball unraveling due to minor NCAA violation 

In the summer of 2010, the Tennessee Vols men’s basketball program was at its peak. Bruce Pearl, who had already won an SEC title and led the program to its first No. 1 ranked and 30-plus win season back in 2008, had just taken the program to its first Elite Eight in school history. In five years, his program had made five NCAA Tournaments and four top 25 finishes.

Heading into that season, the Vols were adding five-star Tobias Harris to a loaded roster. Things were rolling. But then it all came crashing down. Pearl admitted he lied to NCAA officials about a minor violation when he hosted a couple of recruits at his house for a barbecue. At the time, it seemed like nothing, and UT jumped out 7-0 start and No. 7 ranking.

Then, it all seemed to hit at once. The severity of Pearl’s issues were clear when he got hit with an eight-game suspension for SEC games. Such distractions resulted in a three-game losing streak for the program before SEC play. Then it limped through SEC play to an 8-8 record and finished the season overall, including the SEC Tournament, at 19-14.

An elite schedule got them a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament. But Mike Hamilton then said that Pearl would likely be fired if the program didn’t make the Sweet 16. That shocked everybody, and the Michigan Wolverines bounced UT out with a 30-point win in the first round. Pearl was fired the next Monday. A program at its peak the year before was now looking for a new coach.

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