Tennessee running back Bryce Brown has left the Volunteers program without contacting head coach Derek Dooley, according to the Knoxville News Sentinel.
Brown, who landed at Tennessee after a drawn-out, controversial recruitment, has long been expected to leave the program after Lane Kiffin bolted for USC after one season in Knoxville. But Brown did not inform the coaching staff in person that he was leaving.
"Bryce left town without a face-to-face request (with Dooley) for a transfer," a school official told the News Sentinel. "There’s still no news on where he wants to go."
According to USA Today, Brown sent Dooley a text message to say he was leaving. Brown didn’t participate in spring practice, fueling the speculation that he was leaving—most likely for Kansas State, where the Wichita native would join his older brother. But Brown must seek a release from Tennessee before he can go to a new school to play football.
According to the News Sentinel, Dooley had harsh words for Brown while addressing a local Knoxville Rotary Club.
"I said (earlier) that I was open to Bryce coming back on the condition that he wanted to unpack his bags and put his heart into this program," Dooley said. "I fully expect Bryce not to be on our team.
"The reason it has continued on is because Bryce has not come to me, looked me in the eye and said I want a release to so-and-so school. At some point, that’s got to happen.
"Everybody is worried about (Brown’s status) except me. I view him as not on our team."
Brown was the No. 1 recruit according to Rivals.com in the class of 2009, but ran for just 460 yards as a freshman while backing up Montario Hardesty.
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=tsn-brycebrowntellstennesseeh20100728
