Pearl, Assistants Get Show-Cause, Vols Get Failure To Monitor

The hammer has officially dropped on former Tennessee men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl- three years of a show-cause penalty while his assistants during his tenure each get one-year penalties.

Tony Jones, Steve Forbes and Jason Shay all got ones according to the full report released by the Committee On Infractions. The failure to monitor the program charge translates into a two-year probation through 2013.

Pearl violated the bump rule and failed to disclose the bump during an investigation.

The football team also had 12 violations- all minor, but still significant- during Lane Kiffin's one year in Knoxville before he was almost burned at the stake by Vols fans who congregated outside the Athletics office during his resignation presser.

The NCAA was perturbed, but didn't do anything else to the football program or Cuonzo Martin's basketball program.

The whole report is hyah, thanks to our friends at WATE-TV...

Kiffin released a statement and sayeth quote...

"I'm very grateful to the NCAA, the committee on infractions and its chairman, Dennis Thomas, for a very fair and thorough process. I'm also very grateful that we were able to accurately and fairly present the facts in our case and that no action was taken against us. I'm pleased that the NCAA based its decision on the facts and not on perception. I'm also very grateful that the Tennessee football program was cleared of any wrongdoing. As I have said before, we always have been committed to following NCAA rules and bylaws both at Tennessee and now at USC, and we always will be. Now that this has reached its conclusion, I am looking forward to continuing to prepare our team for the upcoming season."

More when we know more...

PM UPDATE: We know more...
Steve Phillips from our friends at WBIR-TV has the lead in team coverage...

Tennesse puts themselves on Probation

Bruce Pearl

((ht: knoxville news-sentinel))

We have an idea of what this means and we are quite sure it is trying to head off far more serious penalties by the NCAA.

The Knoxville News-Sentinel reported last night that the University of Tennessee has imposed a two-year probation on its athletic department. That, according to the paper, is a capper to the other penalties and punishments that have already been placed on the program.

You can read the story, and be as confused as we are RIGHT HERE

Here's what we think it means: Nothing. According to this, the school is of the opinion that no longer having Lane Kiffin and Bruce Pearl along with others on the athletic staff is a good start. They also point to the suspension handed down on Pearl as part of their proactive approach

All the probation essentially means is they will be in trouble if they do something again.

This is all to give the NCAA the message that they know they messed up and are handling it. It may or may not work. It certainly can't help. We certainly don't think this is as serious as the "alleged" violations at Ohio State, but it's already all but been decided tOSU is only getting off with a slap on the wrist. We think Tennessee is probably not going to get much more than that from the NCAA either.

The fine folks at WBIR-TV explain things on the TV side:

Could Heath Shuler take over Tennessee Athletic Director job?

Heath Shuler/R-N.C

((ht: washington post))

Hmmm. This is an interesting thought/idea. The Edge Radio's Tony Basillo (Knoxville station), brings up that Heath Shuler's name is being bandied about as a possible Athletic Director at the University of Tennesse and that Shuler has some interest.

You can read Basillo's blog RIGHT HERE (Scroll down once you open link)

The Washington Post thought the idea was interesting enough to follow up with an inquiry to Congressman Heath Shuler, of North Carolina's office. And the office didn't deny it, but said that Shuler is focused on the 2012 election.

Read the Washington Post story RIGHT HERE

While we don't hold Tennessee in high regard of late, we think that Shuler would be an inspired choice, if he were so interested. The school right now has all kinds of image problems in athletics and is facing an almost certain NCAA punishment for the dealings of now former basketball coach Bruce Pearl and former football coach Lane Kiffin.

Shuler would be someone who would go a long way towards restoring his alma mater's reputation. From his days as an All-american quarterback to the successes he's had in Congress, he's highly thought of in many communities.

The school, for their part, has been somewhat close lipped about the search for Mike Hamilton's replacement, though current Georgia Tech AD Dan Radakovich's name has been mentioned. We don't believe that he'd seriously take the job however.

We wish both sides of this courtship well. Tennessee, we'd be very impressed if you truly can pull this off. But considering the mis-steps of the past 10-years or so, we are very skeptical that you'll be able to do it.

While well thought of as a Congressman, Shuler didn't garner much respect in the NFL. Here's a story on the reason for that:

Vols Say NCAA Hearing Was "Fair..."

Whatever that means...

Members of the Tennessee Athletic Department spent more than 10 hours in front of the NCAA Committee on Infractions answering claims on the COI's allegations of 12 major violations committed by the football and basketball programs.

Bruce Pearl spent five hours answering questions from the NCAA and his output was matched by current USC head football coach Lane Kiffin for another five.

“We are glad we had the opportunity to present our case." Chancellor Jimmy Cheek said in a written statement released after the hearing. "We feel it was a fair hearing, and we look forward to the resolution of this matter.”

Here's an interview our friends at VolunteerTV/WVLT had with Bruce Pearl in the hallway...


Tennessee should have its answer from the NCAA in the next few months or so...

The HQ is looking for a few words in particular that will also apply in Columbus...

"Show cause..."

DEVELOPING: USC Doesn't Like The Appeal Ruling

((HT: MyFoxLA))

The debilitation of USC stands as called by the NCAA...

Appeal rejected...

USC must serve the second year of its two-year postseason ban. USC also will lose 30 scholarships over the next three years, giving them just 15 scholarships per season until 2015. Most schools get 25 unless you're Houston Nutt or something...

A lot of the NCAA world is saying that life under Lane Kiffin couldn't be any more karmically correct...

Here's Pat Haden pleading his case...

NCAA Rejects USC's Appeal of Sanctions: MyFoxLA.com

SC's seniors are still allowed to transfer to another school without sitting out a season. Lane Kiffin is referring to that part of the ruling as "free agency."

And, for some strange reason, laughter continues across the country from a boatload of other campuses that have had to see Kiffykin's shenanigans firsthand...

DEVELOPING: Allegations Hit Knoxville...

There's only one allegation against the University itself...

The "failure to monitor" was found for basketball...
Nothing really new was found against the basketball program...
Bruce Pearl got the unethical charge we anticipated and also added a "bumping" secondary violation with contact with a junior.

A lot of stuff in the report was blacked out...
Shocking...

Here's coverage from our friends at WBIR-TV
Steve Phillips is front and center...


Young Kiffin had a prepared statement released...
"We have received the notice of allegations. On the advice of my legal counsel, we cannot comment other than to say we look forward to working through the process with the NCAA," Kiffin said.

Bob Ley, Pat Forde, and Andy Katz discuss on ESPN's "Outside The Lines..."

Does The Hammer Fall On Vols...???

((HT: ESPN/Katz))

We all know that head hoops coach Bruce Pearl has been in deep doo-doo since he apparently misled NCAA investigators during their quest for knowledge and information last year.

He's been working with out a contract and was given a substantial and involuntary pay decrease in Knoxville. Now, he's only part of the story where the folks in Indianapolis are notifying the school of allegations in the basketball, football, and baseball programs very soon.

Basketball... the HQ understands...
Football... the HQ understands...
But baseball...??? Really...???

It looks like Pearl may be given an "unethical conduct" charge by the NCAA- and that's a big no-no. And since more than one program is under investigation, you could hear that phrase that pays: "lack of institutional control."

The hearing is set for mid-June...

More when we know more...

Lane Kiffin to leave lasting reminder at Tennessee

Lane Kiffn/Courtesy: everyjoe.com

Because his departure just wasn't enough to remember him by, former coach Lane Kiffin will apparently leave another piece of his vaunted coaching legacy in Knoxville, NCAA sanctions.

According to an article published on the Fanhouse.com website, the NCAA is going to cite the Tennessee program with a "Failure to Monitor" violation. There will apparently also be citations against David Reaves, the former assistant quarterbacks coach in Knoxville.

Read the excellent article by Fanhouse writer Clay Travis RIGHT HERE

Most of this apparently dates back to Kiffin's use of the "Orange Pride" hostesses along with some improper recruiting contact.

While we've been pretty critical in the past of the sometimes odd goings-on in Knoxville in regards to athletes, we think that the NCAA sanctions in this case are going to end up being not fair to those currently at the school.

It's astounding to us that a coach, such as Kiffin, can come in, run amok and do what he wants, getting in trouble with the NCAA--leave and suffer no repercussions. The school certainly will be paying the price.

Consider though, what we are saying is more a broad blanket statement. It's not so much about Tennessee suffering as schools in general that suffer. This isn't the first time a coach has broken the rules, left and made someone else deal with the fallout.

As for the athletic department in Knoxville, they should be worried. This, on top of the trouble that Bruce Pearl is in for basketball, could easily lead one to believe that there is no institutional control of the Tennessee athletics program. We may be wrong in that assumption, but the evidence is there. The dark-overlords of the NCAA do not look kindly on things like that and the thought of a school not monitoring things.

Tough time could be afoot. And while the school deserves some of the blame for the Kiffin hire, the so-called "Compliance" office that they allegedly have should be checking what their coaches are doing a lot better too.

Remember this story from January? When Kiffikins resigned to head to Southern Cal? Thanks WVLT-TV:

TWTW: So Much For That Whole Upset Thing By USC, Oregon Stays Undefeated

((HT: KVAL-TV))

This was a game where a lot of people thought that this would be a tough test for the Oregon Ducks- this was Southern Cal's bowl game... all that...

USC lasted until the mid-point of the third quarter with their 32-29 lead, but then gave up 24 straight to lose 53-32...

LaMichael James ran for 239 yards on the night and the Trojans just couldn't keep up with the well-conditioned sprinters from Eugene.

Nick Krupke has the highlights from way above the Mausoleum...

TWTW: Kiffykins Loses Another One On Last Second FG

((HT: ESPN on ABC/Youtube))

Okay, so you score with 72 seconds left, and you think you have it made...

As someone on Saturdays says: Not so fast my friend...

Stanford's Andrew Luck set up Nate Whitaker's game-winning 30-yard field goal, giving the Cardinal a 37-35 victory and giving USC its second straight last-second defeat.

The HQ can't help but chuckle...

The loss dropped USC's record to 4-2 overall and 1-2 in the Pacific 10 Conference.

"We're at the lowest of the lows," USC quarterback Matt Barkley said, "and it's very tough because we were at the highest of the highs just two weeks ago."

It marked the first time since 2000 that Stanford defeated the Trojans at Stanford Stadium. And it marks the first time since 2001 that USC has lost two games in a row.

"We are so close to being good," Coach Lane Kiffin said, "but we are not there yet."

Mike Patrick had the pleasure of calling this one...


The HQ especially likes the Death Glare From Lane at, about the :30 mark...

TWTW: Sark Takes Out Kiffykins On Last Second FG, 32-31

((HT: ESPN2/Youtube))

Washington QB Jake Locker engineered a last-minute drive to set up Erik Folk's 32-yard field goal as time expired, and Washington upset the 18th-ranked Trojans 32-31 beating USC on a last-minute field goal for the second straight season.

"It feels awesome to have the team compete like that for four quarters and then win it in the end," said Locker. "The reason I stuck around was to play for this team and these guys."

Folk's kick was the Huskies' first win at the Coliseum since 1996, and the Trojans had won 47 of 48 games there before losing three of their last five.

Here's the end of the game...


And here's your Sark post...

Peyton Manning On Lane Kiffin, "We Didn't Think Tennessee Was A Transition Job."

Peyton Manning was a guest Monday's Dan Patrick's radio show where the Colts quarterback discussed a plethora of topics. They talk about Tony Dungy and some other Colts stuff but then Manning discussed Lane Kiffin's short but memorable tenure at Tennessee. Let's just say Manning wasn't that crazy about Kiffy-kins and the way he treated the Big Orange Nation.

Click on the link to listen.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/danpatrick/listenlive.player.html?file=http://ht.cdn.turner.com/si/danpatrick/audio/2010/08/23/DP-Peyton_Manning-08-23-10_Interview.mp3

Lane Kiffin disciplinarian...Suspends Dillon Baxter

Our Hero//Courtesy: petesonthehotseat.com

Alrighty then. Our pal Kiffikins continues his rousing start in Trojan land. Practice is nary 3 weeks old and already we have trouble in paradise.

Yesterday, we find out that the Trojan's have suspended star freshman running back Dillon Baxter for USC's first game, against Hawaii.

Baxter, according to reports not coming from Kiffin, was the center of an incident at the Athletic Dorms the night before.

Read more about the incident from the LA Times RIGHT HERE

We think the funniest part of this story, and it has humorous elements, is the fine, upstanding Lane Kiffin, weakly trying to deflect the questions of the LA Media.

This of course comes on top of last week, where he finally admitted that Cornerback TJ Bryant had to get surgery to repair a cheekbone that was broken in a fight the week before camp started.

Previous to that, it was the hiring of Kennedy Pola to be the Offensive Coordinator right under the nose of the Tennessee Titans, who had just hired Pola. Oh...and they didn't ask for permission to talk to him either. 

And lest we forget that Kiffikins was questioned by the NCAA about multiple potential issues with his year or so in Knoxville, at the University of Tennessee.

We can't wait to see what's next.

Enjoiy an interview with young Mr. Baxter, shot back in April. Thanks PedroMouraESPN and YouTube:

And to explain why this is a big deal, here are some highlights from the spring game. Thanks CollegeLevelAthletes.com and YouTube:

Titans Sue USC, Kiffin Over Pola Hire

The Tennessee Titans are suing USC and their football head coach, Lane Kiffin, for "maliciously" luring away assistant running backs coach Kennedy Pola a week before training camp opens.

Jim Wyatt's article in the Tenessean, says that Tennessee Football Inc., the company that owns the Titans, filed the lawsuit in something called "Davidson County Chancery Court."

Pola is accused of breach, after only being hired February 1st, and that "as a result of USC and Kiffin’s tortuous conduct, Tennessee football has been damaged in an amount proven at trial."

The Titans have not commented publicly Monday, but back on Saturday Titans head coach (and USC alum himself) Jeff Fisher was less than pleased...

Here's how mad he was back on the weekend...
Jim Hill reads a bunch of full screens for your enjoyment...
((HT: KCBS-TV/CBS2))


The HQ's favorite line of the whole thing...???
Kiffykin's response...

"I have spoken with Coach Fisher and he now has an accurate understanding of the timeline of events."

Sure, kiddo...

Here's the filing, for those of you who like reading those things...

USC's New "Trojan Man" Has It Covered

The last few weeks I've been on a spring football tour however a trip to Southern Cal. wasn't in the itinerary. It would have been nice to be in L.A. on Tuesday for Lane Kiffin's first spring practice at USC as the "Trojan Man".

Yes Kiffykins is hanging with the beautiful people in L.A. practicing his craft. Along for the ride are his partners in crime, daddy Monte Kiffin and recruiter in chief Ed Orgeron.

This time a year ago Kiffykins was wearing Tennessee orange riling up the passionate fans of the SEC, calling Urban Meyer a cheater (adding to Meyer's off the charts stress level.) and telling a recruit if he wanted to pump gas for a living play for Steve Spurrier at South Carolina.

None of that rhetoric is needed at USC, if Kiffykins called Rick Neuheisel and pot head it probably would get some play on TMZ or if he told a recruit if he wanted to hold up a sign for a career as a political protester play for Jeff Tedford at Cal the Bear fans would react... "so that's our football coach."

In the college football world, the passion of SEC football fans is a 10, the Pac-10 its maybe a 2.

Now Kiffykins has brought a new attitude to USC, that according to quarterback Matt Barkley saying this coaching staff is big on discipline.

"I really want to focus on toughness and discipline," Kiffin told the Los Angeles Daily News. "We want to make sure we play smart. That when you watch us we are a disciplined team."

Pardon me as I recover from laughter......

At Tennessee Kiffin was the immature little kid who tried to bully his way through the SEC slinging arrows at the established coaches in the league as if to say "look at me, I'm going to kick your ass."

Kiffykins admits Southern Cal is a different situation, one that he doesn't need to act like a jerk. What will be Kiffin's demeanor if the Trojans get off to a bad start?

Would anyone in the Pac-1o care.

Photos Courtesy:Andy Holzman/Los Angeles Daily News & AP

Middle School Kids...The new College Recruits

This folks, is getting out of hand. Earlier in the week comes a report that our friend Kiffikins, Lane Kiffin the coach at USC has offered 13 year old David Sills, a football scholarship when he graduates high school and now this: A report out of Chicago saying that the desperate for any publicity DePaul Blue Demons have offered a scholarship to an 8th grader.

The USC story is RIGHT HERE

The DePaul story from the Chicago Tribune is RIGHT HERE

((DePaul Blue Demon Logo//Courtesy: Sportslogos.com))

Yes, that's right, in the DePaul case, the interim coach, Tracy Webster has offered 14 year old Jahlil Okafor of the Rosemont Elementary School (yeah...that's correct) the opportunity to play at DePaul when he graduates High School...in 2014. The Blue Demons, a national power in the late 70's and early 80's have fallen on hard times. They have already fired the coach, Jerry Wainright and have gone through a series of coaches over the past several years.

As for the Kiffikins signing. We just shake our collective heads. Yes, the guy will do anything for publicity and we don't as much slam him for making his offer, more the system for allowing it to be done. The NCAA has GOT TO STEP IN AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT RECRUITING AND DO IT NOW. Recruiting is completely out of control. It dominates all discussion about college sports. It overrides coaching and coaching stability and has generally made all involved look stupid.

Come on, it is bad enough that the coaches are recruiting kids this age. The issue to me is loyalty...or the lack of it. Used to be if you made a commitment to a school, you kept it. Of course that should apply to coaches as well, but that is a separate issue.

Anyway, I could go on for hours about how INCREDIBLY OVERRATED and stupid recruiting hysteria has become but I'll spare you the lecture.

Here is some video of some Mascots playing some kids in Football, maybe Kiffikins can recruit some of them. Thanks You Tube:

New Meaning To "Failure To Maintain Lane..."

((HT: govolsxtra.com))

You all know about the first one... that already happened at the University of Tennessee. But we like this one. It's funny and strangely typical of the whole dynamic...

Lane Kiffin wrecked a leased Lexus while he was Vols head coach.

"For the past 15 years, Lexus of Knoxville has been a proud sponsor of the Tennessee Fund and the coach's vehicle program at the University of Tennessee for the men's and women's athletic programs," the statement reads. "Former University of Tennessee head football coach Lane Kiffin was involved in a single car accident in one of our vehicles. The proper authorities were contacted and the vehicle was towed to our location. Coach Kiffin's insurance was contacted and promptly paid the claim.

UT spokeswoman Tiffany Carpenter elaborated, but didn't know exactly when this happened:

"He'd been staying in the office for 11 nights and was going home to see his family," she said. "He slid off the road."

Kiffin told the sports Web site Volquest.com in August that he fell asleep behind the wheel "after the 10th or 11th day of camp."

"I was driving home and was about a half mile from home, nodded off and slipped off the side of the road into the ditch," he told the Web site. "So they joke around here that I am not allowed to drive anymore."

Which leads us to last night's WWE's "Monday Night Raw" which was in Knoxville. They're recently using the ploy of the "celebrity guest host," and last night gave us Don Johnson and Jon Heder.

Yeah, we know... cheap date...

Heder went "uneducated heel..."
((HT: WWE/Sky Sports))


And, oh by the way according to WATE-TV in Knoxville, it looks like Kevin Steele may be leaving Clemson to join the Derek Dooley staff as Defensive Coordinator... good hire if Steele decides to pull the trigger... the final decision is set for Wednesday.

Runaway Lane...

This song is hilarious! Nelson posted this song earlier, but here it is set to a crazy video. Some scary scenes ahead...lol!

I tip my hat to the Chris Vernon Show and 730 FOX Sports, Memphis' Sports Station (and listener Jesse)...

Would Never Leave You Like Kiffin...

UT basketball player Renaldo Woolridge, aka "Swiperboy," wrote a song in honor of the very premature departure of former Vols football coach Lane Kiffin.

Check it out...it's pretty good...

Lane Kiffin's Last Vol Media Manipulation ((A Link To The Exit Presser))

((HT: Classlesskiffin/Youtube))

It's only a link to a Youtube site, but this is really worth watching...

The discussion is with Tennessee Associate Athletic Director for Sports Information ((Men's)) Bud Ford ((pictured, presumably in happier times, thanks UTK SID)) on how the 57 seconds Lane Kiffin was seen talking around the TV universe evolved into that 57 seconds... before the cameras were turned on.

The discussion-slash-argument is among all the attending members of the Knoxville media- print, radio, and television- on how the presser was to go down...

Kiffin wants to do a portion of the presser off-camera and a portion on camera...