D-League's Texas Legends Could Hire Bruce Pearl As Head Coach, Says Report

Bruce Pearl's next coaching stop could be in the NBA Development League. If that ends up being the case, the former head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers coach will reportedly be compensated quite handsomely to put 'D-League coach' on his résumé.

Pearl is meeting with the Texas Legends this week, the D-League affiliate of the Dallas Mavericks that is co-owned by Donnie Nelson, and reportedly is being offered a package approaching $500,000, according to ESPN's Marc Stein. Both the Legends and Pearl are scheduled to meet with the media on Thursday, according to a team release.

As Stein reports, the $500,000 figure would easily be the most lucrative coaching package put together for a head coach in the D-League. In fact, there are very few coaches being paid six figures to coach in the D-League, much less being offered $500,000 to coach a 50-game season.

This isn't anything new as the Legends have made plenty of headlines ever since becoming an expansion franchise -- and continue to make the national media with the Pearl interview. Last season, the team hired Hall of Fame member Nancy Lieberman as the team's first head coach and had a front office staff that included Nelson, Del Harris and Spud Webb.

Still, it seems quite a risky business venture if the $500,000 figure is legit.

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.

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.