Quote:
Originally Posted by JRutledge
Actually the lie was about him inviting a player to a barbecue that the player did not attend and Pearl apparently lied that he gave the invite.
Peace
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Actually, that is totally incorrect. Three recruits and their parents attended a barbecue at Pearl's house after a football game. They had driven to Knoxville on their own for an "unofficial visit" and under NCAA rules, the university is not allowed to provide them anything on that trip. The NCAA investigation was led by Joyce Thompson.
One can argue the morality of Pearl's actions, his three-year departure and his new job at Auburn. But the facts are not in question. He had the recruits to his house for a barbecue, a photo was taken that was later sent to the NCAA and he lied about it when confronted with the photo.
This is what happened, according to the NCAA transcripts as reported by Yahoo Sports:
The postgame cookout occurred back at Pearl's house. And sometime during it, a picture was snapped of Pearl, recruit Aaron Craft, who currently plays for Ohio State, and the wife of a Volunteer assistant coach, posing inside his house with a painting hanging on a wall in the background.
"Do you have any recollection of that incident or maybe where this picture was maybe taken from and …," Thompson said.
"OK," Thompson said. "Any place on campus but you don't know?"
Pearl said no. He denied there was a cookout. His assistants had already done so, too, and he denied he told his staff to deny it. He denied that he told the recruits and their parents to lie. He ridiculously denied recognizing the wife of his own assistant coach in the picture.
He denied, perhaps even more laughably, that he couldn't recognize the inside of his own house in the photo.
"Is that in your home any place?" Pearl was asked.
"No," he said.
He denied everything, even if it was true.