It's a triple play here at Tonybasilio.com. Vol Colonel, followed by Orange Throat with Keith Hatfield. I'll do my part and get out of the way today. These insiders have you covered from VC's nitty gritty coaching information to OT's evisceration of Dave Hart. Hatfield throws up an all time great Hatfield IX today. This is some strong content here. I'm going to get out of the way.
Vol Colonel
'Tennessee Basketball is in dire straits like it has never been before. I truly believe this coaching search is the most important search in the history of Volunteer Basketball.
Screw this hire up and our program could be set back for a decade. What this program needs now, more than ever, is a coach with a proven track record who could bring much needed stability and credibility back to Knoxville.
Now is not the time to penny pinch and roll the dice with a up and comer in a league that now has the likes of Ben Howland and Bruce Pearl to go along with heavy hitter's John Calipari and Billy Donovan, not to mention a next tier of coaches that includes Kevin Stallings, Andy Kennedy and Frank Martin.
I know Will Wade is well respected in coaching circles and someday he might be the greatest thing since biscuits and gravy, but if we are serious about our basketball program, now is not the time to gamble on a coach with a 40-25 record in the Southern Conference. I say not him and not guys like him, not now! This hire is going to show the Tennessee people, once and for all, our athletic department and administration's level of commitment to basketball.
Now, let's talk about this search and let's explore some of the candidates
Though Dave Hart said in the press conference when the firing of Donnie Tyndall was announced, that it was his idea to use a search firm. I totally believe this was forced upon on him from above.
The Money Involved : I believe Ideally Tennessee would like to spend in the neighborhood of 1.3 to 1.8 million per season on its next basketball coach.
I do however believe that we would be willing and have the money in place to get into the 1.9 to 2.4 million marketplace for the right proven commodity Head Coach.
The Legitimate Candidates (No Shaka, No Gregg Marshall)
Rick Barnes - 604-314 overall record with 22 NCAA appearances. HC since 1987 at George Mason, Providence, Clemson, Texas. He was making somewhere between 2.3 and 2.4 mil at Texas this past season.
Michael White - 104-40 overall record with 0 NCAA appearances. HC since 2011 at Louisiana Tech. He made 600k this past season.
Chris Holtmann - 67-65 overall record with 1 NCAA appearance. HC since 2010 at Gardner Webb 2010-2013 One season at Butler 2014-2015. Butler is a private school and does not release salary information. It's believed he's the lowest paid coach in the Big East. It's estimated he made between 600-900k this season at Butler.
Richard Pitino - 61-42 overall record with 0 NCAA appearances. HC since 2012 at FIU, Minnesota. He made 1.2 mil this past season at Minnesota
Ben Jacobson - 197-105 overall record with 3 NCAA appearances. HC since 2006 at Northern Iowa. He made 575k this season.
Brad Underwood - 61-8 overall record with 2 NCAA appearances. HC since 2013 at Stephen F.Austin. He made 400k this season.
Will Wade - 40-25 overall record with 0 NCAA appearances. HC since 2013 at UT-Chattanooga. He made 198k this season.
Steve Prohm - 104-29 overall record with 1 NCAA appearance. HC since 2011 at Murray State. His new deal at Murray is for 500k per season.
Bobby Hurley - 42-20 overall record with 1 NCAA appearance. HC since 2013 at Buffalo. He made 350k this season and has a new deal on the table at Buffalo for 550k.
Archie Miller - 90-47 overall record with 2 NCAA appearances. HC since 2011 at Dayton. He made 500k this season at Dayton. Has a new extension & raise(Financial terms not disclosed)
Summary:
It is my belief and understanding that Tennessee had a conversation on Friday to gauge interest with Chris Holtmann from Butler and I'm told, Dave Hart had a direct conversation (no search firm) with Rick Barnes on Saturday evening.
They may have talked to others, but those are the two that I'm aware of as of this writing. Coaching searches are always fluid and other names could crop up. I know Rick Byrd's name has cropped up on some list out there, but I'm told at this time in his life he wants to finish his career at Belmont and doesn't have interest in the job.
Hiring Rick Barnes should be a no brainer for the Tennessee brass. This is the one move that could restore stability and credibility to our basketball program. Barnes has a resume that we have never sniffed around here. 22 NCAA appearances, numerous sweet 16's,a few Elite 8's and a Final Four under his belt. I believe he could give us a good 8-10 years. He made between 2.3 and 2.4 mil at Texas this past season and if we're serious about competing with the likes of Calipari, Howland, Donovan and Pearl, this should be the guy.
HIRE RICK BARNES, GET IT DONE, DAVE!
Have a Great Day and Go Big Orange!
Your Vol Colonel'
VC: Our candidate list runs the gamut. Some pencil thin resumes on that list. I'm with you. Give me a proven coach. Hatfield has some poignant comments on Barnes forthcoming that are real food for thought.
Next up is Orange Throat. This guy is decorated and locked and loaded today.
Orange Throat
'Random musings after another cup-shot week in Big Orange Country:
LADY VOL IMPOSTER ALERT: Don't know when the Lady Vol debranding happens with our women's sports not named basketball, but our softball team was brandishing Lady Volunteer helmets and signage in the stadium en route to a 6-2 victory over Georgia on the SEC Network Sunday. No sign of Nike marketing gurus in protest. Just a program continuing to compete at a high level and making the Lady Vol players, former players and supporters proud of being ... Lady Vols.
REAL LADY VOL UPDATE: Our women's basketball team, which is the only team allowed to be called the Lady Vols, made a historic comeback Saturday night against Gonzaga to earn the right to play Maryland Monday night for the right to go to the Final Four. If this team wins the national title, they should stand up for their athletic sisters at UT and demand that the Lady Vol name be restored to all women's teams.
DIME STORE DAVE UPDATE: Our beleaguered A.D. Dave Hart faced the music on Friday in a press conference with the toothless UT media corps after firing Donnie Tyndall for cheating at Southern Miss. Hart admirably stayed for any and all questions from the weak and listless UT media group, but they mounted a feeble attack. Pee Wee Herman could muscle this feckless group of weenies around. They are a discredit to their profession, but that profession is sadly in decline.
DIME STORE DAVE'S SEARCH: All indications are that UTAD deputy Jon Gilbert, who was given the task of hiring our last basketball coach as a flight test to be an AD at Tennessee or somewhere else, won't be given a mulligan on this one. Additionally, Dime Store said he was going to hire a dreaded search firm, which must have been a bitter pill for him to swallow, given his level of expertise that no one else possesses.
DIME STORE'S CANDIDATES: Hard to tell. There is an interesting group of candidates presumably within our reach. Some young, some not so young and some really not young but with great resumes. Hart's not responsible for all of the bad decisions made over the last 40 years, but we have a collective muscle memory over that time that makes us pessimistic. Beano can fill you in on the history.
Orange Throat'
Throaty: Some great stuff today. Did you have to take a shot at the local media like that? Are you trying to get me hated or something. I thought a couple of folks had some pointed questions on Friday. I too give Dave Hart credit for getting up there and facing the music. Then again, Dime Store Dave is fortunate he has a job today. He's really screwed up our hoops program in the short and perhaps long term.
'A coaching search and the Final Four are the headline stories as the week begins. I would be happier if the happenings in Indianapolis had our undivided attention.
1. My thoughts on a possible Rick Barnes hiring at UT would be dictated by what version of the recently deposed Texas coach the Vols would be getting. Providence/Clemson Rick Barnes would be excellent, but the coach we've seen the last five years in Austin would be a disaster.
2. Basketball lost one of its true characters with the passing of Hot Rod Hundley. You just don't see big personalities like him much these days.
3. Everyone keeps using Fred Hoiberg as the example of how a coach with no previous experience can succeed. His success appears to have given people amnesia regarding the tenure Clyde Drexler had with Houston.
4. DePaul choosing to hire Dave Leitao makes absolutely zero sense. If that is how they see their program, they should look to join the Horizon League.
5. Wisconsin played almost flawlessly in reaching the Final Four yet again. Arizona was good enough to win on most days.
6. Kentucky just does not show any sign of cracking under the pressure of being undefeated. Notre Dame pushed them to the very final second.
7. Tom Izzo showed yet again why counting him out in March is a poor choice. Rick Pitino also did a masterful job in having Louisville on the cusp of the Final Four.
8. Duke showed more defensive commitment than they had previously. Of course, Gonzaga shrinking in the final moments helped the Blue Devil cause.
9. Vol baseball showed some signs of life on Saturday. The first inning yesterday stopped that momentum cold.
Keith'
Great stuff Keith. Real food for thought on Barnes. I'm going back and forth on this one. It almost seems too good to be true that somebody with that resume is sitting there. Basketball, unlike football is a sport where guys can coach effectively well into their 70's. Look at Larry Brown. Guys that are this age that can recruit can still win big.
Final Thought: The Lady Vols have a real opportunity tonight to make their season a really special one. That was a tremendous comeback the other night in a road game in the round of 16. A win tonight would put them among the more special teams in school history. Around here we call it getting above your raisin'. By winning tonight, the Lady Vols will be called an overachiever.
Friday night’s Iowa-UConn Final Four game had 14.2 million viewers. That’s more than any women’s college basketball game, ever. More than every 2023 NBA Finals game and more than every 2023 World Series game. ESPN has had the rights to NBA games since 2002. But the Final Four game between Iowa and UConn was the networks most-watched basketball game, men’s or women’s, pro or collegiate EVER.... [more]
Friday night’s Iowa-UConn Final Four game had 14.2 million viewers. That’s more than any women’s college basketball game, ever. More than every 2023 NBA Finals game and more than every 2023 World Series game. ESPN has had the rights to NBA games since 2002. But the Final Four game between Iowa and UConn was the networks most-watched basketball game, men’s or women’s, pro or collegiate EVER.... [more]
The Vols did what they were expected to do against UConn. There's not really much to say about that game. The game this Saturday in Columbia, Missouri will decide whether or not this season is a failure in my opinion. If they Vols lose, they are staring at 8-4 and probably the Gator Bowl. Maybe Reliaquest..... [more]
The Vols are coming back to Neyland Stadium and I am returning after a discretionary bye week. I'll be honest with you. This year it seems like I've been writing the same preview over and over because the formula to win has been the same pretty much every SEC game. I didn't want to sound like a broken record so I needed a bit of a break from that.
I'll start with some general observations..... [more]
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