Tennessee basketball: Ranking first five years of Vols coaches who lasted that long

Yearly record

1926-1927: 7-12 (5-4)

1927-1928: 0-12 (0-8)

1928-1929: 11-5 (7-4)

1929-1930: 13-4 (7-2)

1930-1931: 11-10 (4-8)

*No postseason play available during this time

He’s actually more known for his career as an assistant coach with the Tennessee football program, serving under Robert Neyland, and then having a failed stint as the program’s head coach in 1935 when Neyland had his first stint away due to military service. However, W.H. Britton was much more successful coaching on the basketball court.

Britton, who played football with Neyland at Army, actually gave up coaching men’s basketball in 1935 so he could coach the football team. After it didn’t work out, he returned to be an assistant with the program while never regaining his basketball job back.

However, in the first five years of his nine-year stint, Britton did a solid job with the men’s Tennessee basketball program. He needed time to get things going his way, which is why he had losing seasons his first two years. But he did finish with three straight winning seasons.

Staying barely over .500 in his fifth year, though, combined with his first two losing seasons puts his job here at No. 9. It’s not his fault, but with no postseason play available while he was coaching, as the NIT and NCAA Tournament would not start until 1938 and 1939 respectively, he needed conference titles or more winning seasons to move up the list.