Rick Barnes took the job at Tennessee recently to try to bring the Vols’ basketball program back to where it was during the Bruce Pearl era. Pearl, who was fired when NCAA violations surfaced, had the fans, players, and staff on the bandwagon with a culture change. It worked for Bruce, but what does Barnes need to do to achieve the same success?
1. Recruit
The Vols are in need of a point guard and just talent in general. Robert Hubbs III was a McDonald’s All-American and has obviously not lived up to this potential. This could be a coaching failure, or Hubbs could be another Scotty Hopson who doesn’t live up to what everyone expected.
2. Make a System
It is crucial for this to be made with every new coach and team. If you try to make the players fit the system, you will fail and see no progress. That is why it is so important to make your system fit your players.
3. Sell the Program
This is the most essential part about being a coach at a school like the University of Tennessee. You look at coaches that sold the football program well like Lane Kiffin and Butch Jones, and you think about how much the fans stand behind their coach. If Barnes can win the love of the fans and be successful, he will more than likely finish his career on Rocky Top.
Dorm Room Hoops 