Rick Barnes to Jeremy Pruitt: Tennessee Vols 10 notable 2010s coaching hires
It’s safe to say the one hire the Tennessee Vols made that was right on paper and has proven itself to work out was Rick Barnes. And yes, Dave Hart deserves a ton of credit for this move, which has restored Tennessee basketball.
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The biggest criticism of Hart hiring Donnie Tyndall beyond looking past the NCAA issues was the fact that Hart tried to find the young guy at the smaller program who would succeed at a higher level over the course of a few decades. That’s how athletic directors think far too often.
But when the Tyndall hire didn’t work out, Hart took the opposite route. He went for a proven winner who would bring stability to the program, and that’s exactly what he got in Barnes. The Texas Longhorns had just fired him after 17 years, so Hart jumped at the move.
This was one of the biggest coups ever in Tennessee Vols history. They got an experienced Final Four head coach who had connections with NBA scouts, AAU programs and basketball teams all over the world. And Hart did not worry about the fact that Barnes was 61 at the time of the hire.
Even a decade with Barnes would be more stable than anything Tennessee basketball had seen in 30 years. That makes Barnes the best hire he could have possibly made, and as a result, before the benefit of hindsight, Barnes is the best hire the Tennessee Vols made this decade.
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However, after the benefit of hindsight, he is still the best hire the Tennessee Vols have made this decade. Barnes rebuilt the program his way, and despite a few flaws, he’s turned them into a perennial top 25 team. Four weeks at No. 1 this past year show the program is rolling like never before, and Hart deserves lots of credit for this hire.