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With Doug Gottlieb leaving, ESPN hires Bruce Pearl and Seth Greenberg as analysts

Seth Greenberg

ESPN may be losing college basketball analyst Doug Gottlieb to CBS, but they moved quickly to replace him, hiring former coaches Bruce Pearl and Seth Greenberg, the network announced Monday.

Pearl, formerly at Tennessee before being fired in 2011, worked with Sirius XM Radio as a college basketball analyst this past season.

He was at the center of an NCAA investigation that ultimately led to his firing when it was found that he illegally hosted now-Ohio State point guard Aaron Craft and his family to a cookout while on a visit. He later lied to the NCAA about the incident.

During his time with the Volunteers, he finished with a record of 145-61, having made six NCAA tournament appearances, including two Sweet Sixteens and an Elite Eight.

Greenberg was fired from his head coaching position at Virginia Tech this past season after finishing 15-16, including 4-12 in the ACC. He coached the Hokies for nine seasons, making one NCAA tournament appearance, though seeming to be a perennial bubble team that fell on the wrong side of the line and into the NIT.

Both, in combination, will try to replace what Gottlieb brought to the network, now that he is leaving for CBS, but it won’t be an easy task.

The fact that Pearl spent last season on radio should make the transition more comfortable, and Greenberg was brought on by the network last season as a guest analyst during the NCAA tournament.

Daniel Martin is a writer and editor at JohnnyJungle.com, covering St. John’s. You can find him on Twitter:@DanielJMartin_