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Ex-Tennessee coach Donnie Tyndall makes his pro wrestling debut (VIDEO)

ETSU Tennessee Basketball

AP Photo

AP

@GFWWrestling @DonnieTyndall gettin back to coaching Saturday night @smokiesbaseball #GFWGrandSlamTour pic.twitter.com/Nwd7Rft6Py

— Kevin Sullivan (@KevinSullyTV) June 14, 2015


Donnie Tyndall’s made his debut in professional wrestling on Saturday night.

The ex-Volunteers coach was ringside as the manager of the Heavenly Bodies, a tag team in the main event of the Global Force Wrestling Grand Slam Tour. The show took place at Smokies Park in Knoxville, home of Tennessee Smokies, the AA minor league affiliate of the Chicago Cubs.

Tyndall came out with typical coaching attire, equipped with a whistle and clipboard. According to Adam Greene of the Knoxville News Sentinel, Tyndall also got in on the action:

Tyndall’s moment as a heel lasted just until the end of the match. The Heavenly Bodies didn’t abide by the rules and Tyndall made what they call a “babyface turn” in the business, and clubbed one of the wrestlers over the head with his clipboard. It was something Tyndall has dreamed of doing for a long time to basketball referees and opposing coaches.

Following the match, Tyndall tweeted that he had retired from professional wrestling.

Tyndall was fired by Tennessee on March 27 after one season, as a result of an NCAA investigation into violations that he committed as head coach at Southern Miss.Former Texas head coach Rick Barnes was hired four days later. The Volunteers were 16-16 this past season, finishing 10th in the SEC.

Follow @terrence_payne