“*It’s been 3 years, I’m done here.*”
–Bruce Pearl

Bruce Pearl, native of Massachusetts, announced his resignation from the University of Tennessee on Friday afternoon. Pearl, who turned a Wisconsin-Milwaukee program completely around in four years, leading them to the Sweet 16, left the school for Tennessee just after their most successful season in school history.

“Ya know, I spent three years at UWM and it’s been three years at Tennessee, it’s just time for me to move on,” said Bruce Pearl Friday, as he announced he will be signing with the New Jersey Institute of Technology. “The NJIT program needs to be turned around and that’s what I do, I turn teams around.”

Holding the only No. 1 seed in Tennessee history, Pearl feels as if his job is done as a Volunteer by turning the team from the bottom feeder in the SEC to one of the best teams in the country.

Though the Vols season is not over until they exit the NCAA Tournament, which could be as late as the championship game, Pearl admitted that he will still coach as if he were staying.

“I’m not shocked,” said senior Chris Lofton. “I’m his best player, he has no reason to stay.”

Pearl, 47, claimed that he has offers from 336 schools around the country, the only teams not wanting him are UWM, Tennessee, Iowa, Stanford, Boston College and Division II Southern Indiana, but claims that he will in fact be signing with NJIT, a struggling Independent program that was winless this season.

Now divorced, Pearl said he can move wherever and do whatever he wants because he is “free.”

The Highlanders will most likely be the No. 1 team in the country by next season around Jan. 12.

Good luck Bruce.

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