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Full Version: Vols AD grants OK for Iowa to contact Pearl
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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Iowa might try to lure back former assistant and current Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl to replace the departed Steve Alford.
Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he has given Iowa athletic director Gary Barta permission to contact Pearl.
"I just granted permission. Gary Barta and I have been longtime friends, and I knew if there was a time when he was interested in talking we would talk. So he called and we talked and he asked for permission to contact Bruce and talk to him," Hamilton said.
Alford left Iowa after eight seasons to be coach at New Mexico.
Pearl was an assistant at Iowa from 1986 to 1992, when he left to become head coach at Division II Southern Indiana. He coached at Wisconsin-Milwaukee from 2001 to 2005 before being hired by Hamilton at Tennessee.
Pearl got a two-year extension after last season through 2012 with an escalating pay scale each year. His total compensation package will increase from $1.1 million this year to $1.2 million next year. Hamilton said Pearl also would receive a one-year extension through 2013.
Pearl did not immediately return a message seeking comment. Last week, he discussed the Iowa vacancy after the Volunteers returned from the NCAA Tournament.
"There are some jobs that are open. Iowa and Michigan are both jobs that in a different time and a different place -- like I said, I worked my whole life to be at a place like Tennessee," Pearl said in an interview with the AP last Friday. "I was a Hawkeye for a long time. I've recruited Michigan well for years as an assistant at Iowa and a head coach at Southern Indiana, and here and Milwaukee. I've always recruited Michigan. Those are opportunities that you certainly try to get to, but I'm here. I'm in the SEC. I'm at Tennessee. I go to work every day trying to reward Tennessee for bringing me here."

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2814415
Mark Pearl off the list of potential coaches at UK then. Not that had a serious chances anyway, but his name was being circulated last week, but so was everyone else.
Update...

Pearl happy at Tennesse, tells Iowa no thanks.

Pearl said he was not leaving Tennessee, and then he wanted fans to know.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2814415