Worst head coach hires in Tennessee basketball history

Tennessee basketball is rolling to start March. The Vols are in the driver's seat ahead of the SEC Tournament and are jockeying for position for a one-seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Vols are having their best season under head coach Rick Barnes with National Championship aspirations.

That hasn't always been the case for the Vols. Tennessee has had an up-and-down program and has not been able to sustain long-term success as a result. The Vols have had some good coaches, but no one has been closer than Barnes to get the Vols to the Final Four.

The University of Tennessee has hired 21 coaches to lead its basketball program. Over its 110-year history, the Vols are 1787-1118, which is a 62% winning percentage. Not bad for a school that was never considered relevant before Bruce Pearl stepped on Rocky Top.

But we're not talking about the best coaches to come to Knoxville, but the worst hires in men's basketball program history. Depending on your definition of a "bad hire," there could be quite a few. Unlike Tennessee's football program, only three coaches have survived ten or more seasons in Knoxville. 11 of Tennessee's 21 head coaches departed from Knoxville within their first three seasons.