Pearl volunteers for Tennessee duty
Bruce Pearl, who led Wisconsin-Milwaukee on a surprising run through the NCAA Tournament, was introduced yesterday as Tennessee's new basketball coach.
"This is a dream come true," the 45-year-old Pearl said after becoming Tennessee's sixth coach in 16 years. "I feel like I am prepared."
Pearl, a Boston College graduate, took 12th-seeded Wisconsin-Milwaukee to the round of 16 this year for the first time in the program's 109-year history.
Tennessee failed to make the NCAA Tournament in four years under coach Buzz Peterson, fired March 13 after a 14-17 season.
"I have complete confidence that he will take our program to the next level," university president John Petersen said of Pearl, whose career mark is 317-84. His winning percentage of .790 tops all active coaches expect Mark Few of Gonzaga and Roy Williams of North Carolina.
Tennessee gave Pearl a five-year contract that will pay him $800,000 a year plus bonuses. Pearl made between $275,000 and $300,000 in base salary at Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
"I am going to work every day trying to reward you for this decision," Pearl said, vowing to bring a defense-driven, fast-break style of play to the SEC that "hasn't been seen in a long time." Wisconsin-Milwaukee athletic director Bud Haidet said the departure didn't come as a total surprise. "Success is always a double-edged sword in our business," Haidet said.
Bogut leaving Utah
Utah center Andrew Bogut will enter the NBA draft, forgoing his final two years of eligibility to possibly become the No. 1 choice. "I have no regrets and full-speed ahead," the 7-footer from Australia said. Bogut, the leading vote-getter on the AP All-America team, averaged 20.4 points and 12.2 rebounds while leading the Utes to a 29-6 season, which ended with a loss to Kentucky in the regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament. Bogut is expected to be a lottery pick in the NBA draft and possibly the first player chosen overall with his exceptional ballhandling skills for a center. Bogut led Utah in scoring and rebounding and was third on the team in assists with 82. Bogut averaged 14.8 points and 8.8 rebounds for Australia's Olympic team last summer . . . Reggie Theus has learned from one of the best as an assistant to Louisville's Rick Pitino, and plans to use some of his mentors' tricks as the new coach at New Mexico State. Theus said the two seasons he spent as Pitino's chief recruiter have prepared him for his first Division 1 head coaching job. "I'll be taking a page out of a lot of his books," Theus said when he was introduced at a news conference. Theus made a quick stop in Las Cruces and was to rejoin Louisville as it prepares to play Illinois Saturday in the Final Four. Theus, 47, was given a five-year contract with a base salary of $189,000, which goes up to $230,000 a year with incentives and perks. Theus played at UNLV from 1976-78 and then spent 13 years in the NBA with Chicago, Kansas City, Sacramento, Atlanta, Orlando, and New Jersey . . . Arizona State junior forward Ike Diogu made himself eligible for the NBA draft following a season in which he led the Pac-10 in scoring (22.6) and rebounding (9.8). The 6-8 Diogu hasn't hired an agent and could return to Arizona State if he decides not to turn pro.
