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

Yearly record

1911-1912: 5-5

1912-1913: 9-5

1913-1914: 15-2

1914-1915: 9-2

1915-1916: 12-0

*No conference or postseason play available during this time

He is credited for giving Tennessee football its first real success, leading the Vols to a 9-0 record in 1914 and their first conference title, as they won the SIAA. At the time, Zora G. Clevenger was also leading Tennessee basketball, and just like M.B. Banks, who coached both football and basketball, he lasted exactly five years on Rocky Top.

Just like football, Clevenger helped orchestrate men’s basketball to its first successful run as well. As a result, he has legendary status on Rocky Top, although basketball wasn’t in a conference at this time. After taking over in 1911-1912, he went 5-5 with a program that was in its fourth year. But Clevenger would never fail to have a winning season after that.

Every year he was in Knoxville, Vol basketball got better. The only exception was 1913-1914 to 1914-1915, when UT went from 15-2 to 9-2, but they had the same number of losses. More importantly, though, the Vols went 12-0 his final year, and that remains the only undefeated season this program has ever seen.

So Clevenger had an undefeated year in football and basketball. Taking all that into account, he should be much higher. However, it was too early of an era, so we have to take titles and postseason play into account, and Clevenger just doesn’t have that.