Donnie Tyndall out as Tennessee coach amid NCAA investigation

Donnie Tyndall is out as the University of Tennessee's head basketball coach

"It is disappointing that we have to take this action," athletics director Dave Hart said in a statement. "It is highly likely that coach Tyndall will face significant penalties at the conclusion of the NCAA's infractions process. We believe this decision is in the best interests of the University of Tennessee."

Tyndall's exit came after a meeting with Hart, who later addressed members of the team about the decision.

The statement also said that Tyndall "is highly likely" to be found responsible for Level I or Level II infractions. Under Tyndall's contract, obtained by The Tennessean, the university could fire him for such violations without having to pay his buyout of $3 million.

The contract Tyndall signed with Tennessee states that he "has disclosed to the university all material information known to him concerning previous NCAA, conference, or institutional rules violations or potential violations committed by him or any person under his direct or indirect control at any other NCAA member institution."

The NCAA has been investigating Tyndall for violations that allegedly occurred during his time as head coach at Southern Miss.

During the investigation, Tyndall avoided speaking publicly about it, saying only that he was cooperating with NCAA officials. This isn't the first time that Tyndall has encountered trouble with the NCAA.

In 2010, sanctions were brought on Tyndall's Morehead State program for an incident that involved a booster offering improper benefits to recruits, among other violations. Upon his hiring at Tennessee, Tyndall told reporters that the Morehead State situation was a learning experience for him.

Tennessee went 16-16 in its lone season with Tyndall as coach.

In November, shortly after news of the investigation became public, two of Tyndall's assistants, Adam Howard and R.J. Rush, resigned from their posts. Both worked on Tyndall's staff at Southern Miss, though Tennessee didn't confirm that their resignations were related to the NCAA's investigation of that program.

Tennessee will now be looking for its fourth basketball coach since the firing of Pearl in March of 2011. Tyndall was hired to replace Cuonzo Martin on April 22, 2014. Martin, who succeeded Pearl, resigned in order to take the California job.

News of Tyndall's firing caught the coach of one Tennessee commit, Shembari Phillips, off guard. "I didn't have a clue," said Doug Lipscomb, Phillips' coach at Wheeler (Ga.) High School. "I don't know what he could have done to be fired."

When asked whether he anticipates the news having an impact on Phillips' commitment to Tennessee, Lipscomb declined to comment. "That doesn't matter right now," he said. "There's stuff more significant than that."

David Climer writes for The Tennessean