Rumors are obviously swirling about Tennessee head coach Donnie Tyndall’s future. First up, here’s what we know.
As multiple people have reported, the NCAA will discuss where the investigation stands with Dave Hart sometime today. We have confirmed that Donnie Tyndall WILL meet with Hart sometime Thursday evening after Tyndall returns from a recruiting trip to New Mexico. Tyndall was traveling back to Knoxville Thursday afternoon.
We have confirmed through multiple sources that Dave Hart and multiple high level donors want to keep Tyndall if at all possible. To be clear, that message has been consistent for months. We also know that, even after the NCAA met with Tyndall for the second time last Monday, sources close to Tyndall and Tennessee reiterated that punishment for Tyndall wasn’t likely to exceed a five to, at the high end, 16 game suspension.
A multitude of sources have communicated that the administration would fight to keep him under those conditions. That information is consistent with what we’ve reported.
As of Thursday afternoon, multiple sources close to Tyndall and Tennessee relayed a message we’ve heard for months – unless something changed after last week’s meeting between Tyndall and the NCAA, the NCAA isn’t believed to have any direct evidence that directly ties Tennessee to any wrongdoing.
What we don’t know? Did that change between last week’s meeting and today? If it did, then Tyndall’s future in Knoxville is very much in the air. If it didn’t, then Tennessee is likely to accept whatever punishment the NCAA levies and move forward with Tyndall. And, for our part, that’s something we’ve argued since before Tyndall coached a game this season.
More to come…
