The Tennessee roster has seen a lot of attrition this offseason, but the coaching staff has also gone through some changes as well. The Vols lost top assistant Justin Gainey to NC State and replaced him with former Boston College head coach Earl Grant.
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Beyond that, Rick Barnes has also added another coach to the Tennessee staff. This time, Tennessee brought in Chris Parker to serve as Assistant Director of Player Development.
"Our staff is excited to have Chris join us here in Knoxville," Barnes said. "He stood out to us as the ideal candidate to fill this position and we believe he will provide a great deal of value for our program. An excellent player at both the collegiate and professional levels, Chris brings a diverse background within the industry and an evident passion for the sport."
Rick Barnes has announced the addition of Chris Parker as Assistant Director of Player Development
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) May 28, 2026
The Plano, Texas, native was a graduate assistant at TCU last season
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Parker was also excited to join the Vols staff in his fuirst full time position as a coach.
"I feel truly blessed to have this amazing opportunity to join such a storied program," Parker said. "I want to thank Rick Barnes and the entire coaching staff for their confidence in me. I look forward to doing everything I can to help Tennessee continue its tremendous success and pursuit of championships."
Rick Barnes adds Chris Parker to the Tennessee basketball staff
This is a nice hire to bring in a young mind who is fresh out of pro basketball in Europe and also played Division I basketball recently. In 2021 at Liberty, Parker averaged 10.3 points, 3.4 assists, and 2.1 rebounds per game, so he was a solid player. He should be able to relate well with the athletes since he’s still relatively close to their age.
I really like what Barnes said about his passion for the sport and his diverse background. That’s exactly the type of person you want on your staff in a support role. The Vols added someone who has a lot of knowledge, is young, and is hungry to move up the coaching ladder. I’ve heard coaches say they love hiring assistants who want to become head coaches because they’ll work tirelessly to help the program succeed and improve their own chances of advancing. This sounds like what Tennessee is getting with Parker. This is a strategic move by Barnes.
Not to mention, TCU was pretty good last year, after having no expectations at all. The Horned Frogs made the Round of 32 and won 23 games after being expected to be the laughing stock of the Big 12.
I can't find any complaints. This is a good addition to the staff.
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