Texas Legends (D-League) Pursuing Bruce Pearl


Former Tennessee Volunteers head coach Bruce Pearl is currently in talks with the Texas Legends of the NBA D-League, according to several reports. Pearl was set for TV work next season, but he will be in Dallas on Wednesday for a formal sitdown with Legends officials after ongoing negotiations between the parties. Via ESPN: “The Texas Legends are making a hard push to hire former Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl to replace Nancy Lieberman as coach of the D-League franchise, according to NBA coaching sources. Said one source: ‘The job is [Pearl’s] if he wants it.’ Coaching in the D-League is a logical step for Pearl in his quest to break into the NBA, most likely as an assistant coach. But Pearl is in high demand as a college basketball analyst after he was fired by Tennessee in the spring, so it remains to be seen whether Pearl wants to make an immediate return to coaching or if he’ll opt for a more lucrative position in TV. Pearl was fired by Tennessee after six highly successful seasons when the school, after Pearl had been charged in September by the NCAA with unethical conduct, learned of additional violations committed on Sept. 14, 2010 and in March 2011. The NCAA has yet to rule on how long Pearl will be barred from college coaching. Yahoo! Sports reported in May that the D-League’s Maine Red Claws made a run at Pearl to replace Austin Ainge, son of Boston Celtics president of basketball Danny Ainge, before the Red Claws ultimately hired former University of Virginia coach Dave Leitao.”