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Tennessee men’s basketball coach fired after 1 season

Feb 28, 2015; Gainesville, FL, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Donnie Tyndall reacts against the Florida Gators during the first half at Stephen C. O'Connell Center. (Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)
Mar 13, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Donnie Tyndall shouts during the second half of the third round against Arkansas Razorbacks of the SEC Conference Tournament at Bridgestone Arena. (Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports)
Mar 13, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Donnie Tyndall looks on during the first half of the third round against Arkansas Razorbacks of the SEC Conference Tournament at Bridgestone Arena. (Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports)
Mar 13, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Donnie Tyndall shouts during the first half of the third round against Arkansas Razorbacks of the SEC Conference Tournament at Bridgestone Arena. (Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports)
Mar 12, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Donnie Tyndall looks away from the court during the first half of the second round against Vanderbilt Commodores of the SEC Conference Tournament at Bridgestone Arena. (Joshua Lindsey-USA TODAY Sports)
Mar 12, 2015; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers head coach Donnie Tyndall shouts during the first half of the second round against Vanderbilt Commodores of the SEC Conference Tournament at Bridgestone Arena. (Joshua Lindsey-USA TODAY Sports)
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The Sports Xchange
March 27, 2015 - 11:01 am
 

The Tennessee Volunteers fired men’s basketball coach Donnie Tyndall after only one season.

The university announced Friday the reason was “for cause” and the decision was based on information Tennessee received during the NCAA’s investigation for violations stemming from Tyndall’s time as head coach at Southern Mississippi.

“It is disappointing that we have to take this action.” Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart said in a statement. “It is highly likely that Coach Tyndall will face significant penalties at the conclusion of the NCAA’s infractions process. We believe that this decision is in the best interests of the University of Tennessee.”

Tyndall, 44, met with NCAA representatives in November concerning reports that players at Southern Miss received extra benefits, such as tuition, living expenses and other fees. Tyndall also reportedly met with NCAA investigators on March 16.

CBSSports.com reported that the NCAA informed Tennessee officials on Thursday of the list of violations it plans to impose against Tyndall in the near future.

According to ESPN.com, Tyndall would likely receive a suspension for the 2015-16 season.

Hart said later Friday he would have never hired Tyndall had he known the details of the coach’s activities during his tenure at Southern Miss. In the termination letter, Hart said Tyndall acknowledged deleting emails that could have been relevant to the investigation.

Tyndall was hired last April by Tennessee after compiling a 56-17 record in two seasons at Southern Miss, taking the school to two NIT appearances. He replaced Cuonzo Martin, who took the head coaching job at California.

Tennessee went 16-16 this season, including a 7-11 record in the Southeastern Conference.

“I am extremely saddened by my separation from Tennessee,” Tyndall said Friday in a separate statement released by his lawyer. “… I apologize to my players, assistant coaches, and the entire UT community that past occurrences led to today’s result. I have truly loved my time at Tennessee.”

Tyndall said in his statement that he was “surprised and disappointed” by the allegations at Southern Miss.

“During my time at Southern Miss, I believed that our program followed NCAA rules and worked well with the university’s administration to maintain an atmosphere of rules compliance,” Tyndall said.

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