Former University of Tennessee athletics director Mike Hamilton died on Nov. 10.
He was 60.
Hamilton was hired as Tennessee’s athletics director on May 10, 2003 and served in the role until June 7, 2011.
Hamilton hired Bruce Pearl as the Vols’ basketball head coach on March 28, 2005.
Pearl served as Tennessee’s basketball head coach through the 2010-11 season before being fired. He was fired on March 21, 2011 after an NCAA investigation into the basketball program.
Hamilton and Pearl remained friends after their departure from Tennessee. Hamilton also had an influence in Pearl being hired at Auburn by then-athletics director Jay Jacobs.
“Not only did Mike hire me at Tennessee, but Mike made the very first call to Jay Jacobs, and to me, about the Auburn job,” Pearl told Vols Wire. “Mike hired me, but he also had to fire me. Mike and I were great friends. He was a great man, great father, great husband, he was honest and he was fair. He had a servant’s heart and we did great things together.
“One of the hardest things he did was fire me. I always felt badly for giving him any reason to have to. I always felt badly, that part of his fall was caused by mistakes that we made, and I forever regret that. When he did terminate me, I was disappointed. I felt like Tennessee could have stayed with us, but it may or may not have been his decision. We still maintained our friendship and he did not lose confidence in me. I would not be at Auburn without Mike Hamilton.”
Former Tennessee basketball player Ernie Grunfeld served as the Milwaukee Bucks’ general manager from 1999-2003. Pearl was Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s head coach from 2001-05 and made a NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance.
Pearl detailed his hiring process at Tennessee under Hamilton.
“Part of the process was Ernie Grunfeld, general manager of the Milwaukee Bucks,” Pearl said. “Ernie kind of witnessed to what I was doing at Milwaukee and he was a strong recommendation. Mike also sent John Currie out to watch me coach in the NCAA Tournament before they hired me. John Currie also had a lot to do with Mike choosing me.”
PHOTOS: Bruce Pearl’s tenure as Tennessee’s head coach
