All for Tennessee
Fansided

Tennessee Vols: Top 10 years men’s basketball was way better than football

By Caleb Calhoun

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 09: Jordan Bowden #23 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates after defeating the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the game at Talking Stick Resort Arena on December 9, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Volunteers defeated the Bulldogs 76-73. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 09: Jordan Bowden #23 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrates after defeating the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the game at Talking Stick Resort Arena on December 9, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Volunteers defeated the Bulldogs 76-73. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 12
Next

8. 1935-1936

Basketball: 15-6 (8-4)

*SEC Champions

Football: 4-5 (2-3)

Let’s have fun with a step back in history for this one. It’s scarce, but Tennessee Vols basketball did exist before the Ray Mears era. And this is one of those seasons. To be fair, it took advantage of a major issue in the football program.

Robert Neyland, who had led Tennessee football from 1926 to 1934 and already become a legend, left UT for the first time due to his military duties. In the process, W.H. Britton, one of his top assistants, filled in.

The results weren’t pretty. UT suffered through a 4-5 record, it’s first losing season since 1924 under M.B. Banks. In the process, they lost to the Alabama Crimson Tide, Auburn Tigers and Kentucky Wildcats.

Here’s the ironic part, though. Britton left his role coaching men’s basketball to fill in as head coach for football. He had been coaching basketball since the same year Neyland took over as head coach, guiding the Vols through the Southern Conference to positive results. As he left, Blair Gullion filled in for him.

In the process, Gullion managed to lead the Tennessee Vols men’s basketball program to its first SEC Championship ever. UT finished the season 15-6 and 8-4 in the league, capturing the title while football suffered through a losing record.

It’s crazy to think about now, but men’s basketball captured an SEC Championship before football. After all, football wouldn’t capture one until 1938, when the golden years of the program really began to take shape.

Home/Tennessee Volunteers