Bruce Pearl apologizes for Ku Klux Klan joke at charity fundraiser

An off-the-cuff comment by Coach Bruce Pearl at a charity fundraiser could raise a few eyebrows. The coach is apologizing if anyone was offended by the unscripted remark.

Pearl was one of the featured speakers at a kickoff for charity fundraiser among TVA employees.

He took questions from the crowd. One person asked him about his three new players this year.

"I've got a tough job. I've got to put these guys from different worlds together, right? I've got guys from Chicago, Detroit. I'm talking about the hood! And I've got guys from Grainger County, where they wear the hood!" Pearl said. After a pause, he added, "That wasn't part of the script."

Later, Pearl issued a written statement, apologizing if anyone was offended by the joke, which he called inappropriate.

"This morning while speaking at a private kick-off event for a great organization that benefits many local charities, I made a statement in jest to describe the diverse group our staff recruits year-in and year-out. Unfortunately while I was trying to excite the crowd and encourage employees to give, I made an inappropriate joke. I certainly did not intend to offend anyone and I apologize to everyone, especially the people of Grainger County.

"In no way am I trying to justify what I said, but I'm disappointed that the focus has been placed on me rather than the charities I was there to help. My only hope is that the visibility of this mistake will encourage those who can to give to those in need during these difficult times."

"There's no hard feelings at all," McBee's father, Doug McBee, told The Knoxville News Sentinel. "We are country up here, but we're not prejudiced. It was a joke, and that's how I took it."

The University of Tennessee men's basketball coach makes dozens of appearances each month for charity events, often speaking without notes and to positive response.