Bruce Pearl has been hired as the head coach of the Texas Legends, the NBA D-League affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks, reports Art Garcia. A press conference is scheduled for Wednesday.
Bruce Pearl Hired By NBA D-League’s Texas Legends, According To Report (UPDATED)
Pearl last coached at Tennessee, but was fired in March due to mounting NCAA violations. While the NCAA has not officially dropped a show-cause order on Pearl, which would essentially prevent him from working in Division I basketball for a set period of time, it’s understood that no program will touch him for the immediate future.
The Legends are based in Frisco, Texas, and were coached by Nancy Lieberman last season. She has moved into the team’s front office.
Though the NBA lockout may stretch into the regular season, it will be business as usual to a degree in the D-League. The D-League will still have a 2010-11 season, but if NBA teams are not playing, obviously young players will not be assigned to D-League affiliates per usual. It’s also expected that given the absence of call-up potential many if not all fringe NBA players who typically make up the bulk of the D-League population will instead sign deals overseas. A large set of players with overseas offers typically toils in the D-League, where the pay is minimal and the travel unluxurious, while holding out hope for an NBA call-up.
For more on the D-League, visit Ridiculous Upside.
UPDATE, 5:53 p.m. ET: Garcia has recanted his report, and reports that, per previous reports, the Legends are merely meeting with Pearl on Wednesday.
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