Clock Strikes Midnight for the Panthers

It didn't take long, did it? The Monday after UWM was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament their coach, Bruce Pearl decides to accept the head coaching job at Tennessee. You can't blame the guy for accepting an offer that pays over $1 Million a year, compared to the $250,000 - $270,000 he was making here in Milwaukee.

What gets me though, is all the talk Pearl made about laying roots in Milwaukee and how hard it would be to move his family. Whatever. Apparently money was the deciding factor. Pearl sees himself as the champion of Div. II coaches, who worked their way up and have finally made it big. He landed a job at a premiere conference and a big name school. Unfortunately, Tennessee prides itself on football and women's basketball. I think it's a mistake taking the Tennessee job. I'm not even sure I wish him well.

Pearl will be missed at UWM and around the Milwaukee community. He seemed to have a genuine interest in promoting the city and was successful at recruiting at UWM. But that's all history now. Not to sound like a pessimist, because the school hasn't named a successor yet, but will they be able to find another coach that had the ability to do what Pearl did, but for the school, players and city. I doubt it. You may have seen one of the fastest rises and quickest declines of a program. It was a nice 3 years.