Coach Apologizes
Knoxville, TN – Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl has apologized for a joking remark that linked the rural home of one his players to the Ku Klux Klan.
Pearl was the featured speaker Thursday at a charity fundraising event in Knoxville at the Tennessee Valley Authority. The audience was laughing as he described shaping a team from players with different backgrounds.
With WBIR-TV cameras rolling, Pearl said he has players from “the ‘hood” of Chicago and Detroit, and players like freshman Skylar McBee from Grainger County, “where they wear the hood.”
He issued a statement later Thursday saying he did not intend to offend anyone, especially anyone in Grainger County. He says he is disappointed the remark took attention away from the charity event.
Posted: 9/25/09 8:30PM ET