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Tennessee basketball: Ranking all four Vols coaches by performance in 2010s decade

By Caleb Calhoun

COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 22: Head coach Rick Barnes of the Tennessee Volunteers looks on during the second half against the Colgate Raiders in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Nationwide Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 22: Head coach Rick Barnes of the Tennessee Volunteers looks on during the second half against the Colgate Raiders in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Nationwide Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Tommy Gilligan/Getty Images
Photo by Tommy Gilligan/Getty Images /

4. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 16-16 (7-11). Donnie Tyndall. 2014-2015. player. 534

This one is no surprise to anybody. Donnie Tyndall had only one year with Tennessee basketball, 2014-2015, and all he did was coach the Vols to a BLANK record during that time with no postseason appearance. Taking that into account, there’s no way he wasn’t going to be the worst coach on this list based on performance.

Tyndall took over a program in disarray due to the Cuonzo Martin-Bruce Pearl saga. Sure, he took over a team that made the Sweet Sixteen the year before, but that team lost four starters, Martin bolted for Cal, and the Vols had no elite recruits coming in. As a result, this was never going to be a good year.

But because of huge NCAA infractions by Tyndall during his time with the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, he never got the chance to bring in talent and start winning with them. It’s his fault, which is why we have no sympathy for him being down on this list. But the results of the one season he coached would have been there regardless of who coached that team.

Still, the Vols’ 2015 recruiting class, which was good at first, suffered and lost almost everybody because of Tyndall’s issues, leaving the program in disarray again in 2015. So Tyndall is easily last on this list, even if he is a great X’s and O’s coach with his high-low motion offense, press on every made basket and matchup zone halfcourt defense. His teams are fun to watch. But his mistakes kept Vol Nation from ever being able to see them at their best.

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