List of Coaching Candidates for Vols Basketball

March 20, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; March 20, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Northern Iowa Panthers guard Deon Mitchell (1) speaks with head coach Ben Jacobson during the first half of the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at KeyArena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Ben Jacobson, Northern Iowa

Record: 197-105 overall and at UNI in 9 seasons

Conference Titles: 5 total

NCAA Tournament Appearances: 3

Salary: $525,000

Although there haven’t been any rumors linking him to the vacant Tennessee head coaching position, Ben Jacobson, 44, has certainly done enough to be considered in any major coaching vacancy across the country.

For the last 9 years, Jacobson has been the head coach of the Northern Iowa Panthers, and he has had more success there than any other coach in the school’s history. He has the most wins in UNI’s history with 197, and he’s led the Panthers to 20 or more wins in 6 of the last 7 seasons, including 31 this past year.

Not only has Jacobson won a lot, but he’s won big games as well. He’s guided the Panthers to 3 Missouri Valley Conference tournament titles and 2 regular season titles, and he’s made noise in the postseason as well. The Panthers made it to the Sweet Sixteen in 2010 and won a game in the 2015 tournament too.

One reason Jacobson may not be a true candidate is his current contract with UNI. After the 2013 season, Jacobson and Northern Iowa agreed to a 10-year extension that raised his annual salary to $525,000 a year. And as of early this year, the Panthers are looking to improve his contract even further.

The Vols historically like to hire the hottest coaches in the mid-major ranks, and Jacobson certainly fits that bill. However, Jacobson is not likely a serious candidate because of his contract situation and because he seemingly is dedicated to the Panthers.