Coach Mears today.

[AllVolinGA]

I looked it up to be sure. In his first three years at TN, Coach Mears went 13-11, 16-8, and20-5. 7th, 2nd, 2nd in the SEC. No tourney bid. By some on here's standards today, he would have been ran off. The best basketball coach in school history. When he was forced out he had the highest active winning percentage in the country. Go figure.

 

[volger]

And he has a street named after him. Go figure.

 

[InVOLuntary]

The NCAA only had 32 teams. Today he would have likely went 2 of the three years.

 

[volbeast33]

I looked it up to be sure. In his first three years at TN, Coach Mears went 13-11, 16-8, and20-5. 7th, 2nd, 2nd in the SEC. No tourney bid. By some on here's standards today, he would have been ran off. The best basketball coach in school history. When he was forced out he had the highest active winning percentage in the country. Go figure.

he would have made a 68 team tournament.

 

[AllVolinGA]

He would have been a regular appearance in the tourney if he had not been forced out at age 49. With the tourney expanded we would have have several teams in there as low seeds. Now that gentleman was really done wrong by the university.

 

[esarmstrong]

Regardless of what some Pearl-o-files may want to believe, he really is the father of Tennessee Basketball.

 

[SGMVols]

Here comes the ADD crowd to lecture the OP about being wrong on who the greatest of all time is at UT.

 

[feathersax]

Regardless of what some Pearl-o-files may want to believe, he really is the father of Tennessee Basketball.

Excuse me, but Bruce Pearl embraced the legacy of Ray Mears. Can't you people just move on?:crazy:

 

[volbeast33]

Here comes the ADD crowd to lecture the OP about being wrong on who the greatest of all time is at UT.

Or maybe u want to bring into a convo where he hasnt been mentioned yet.

 

[AllVolinGA]

Here comes the ADD crowd to lecture the OP about being wrong on who the greatest of all time is at UT.

Let them come walking and talking over. They will be limping and crying on the way back.

 

[volbeast33]

Let them come walking and talking over. They will be limping and crying on the way back.

LOL......internet gangsta

 

[AllVolinGA]

LOL......internet gangsta

Yo, knowledge is my weapon of choice.
In his last year as coach, he went 22-6 and tied for 1st in the SEC. But was forced out due to his manic depression condition. So sad.

 

[VolArmy74]

Mears did a bunch for the program, especially to energize the fanbase.


As for the father of the program, John Mauer won 76% of his games and 2 SEC Championships and 2 SEC tournament championships between 1938-1947. He was the first coach to win over 100 games here and is one of only 5 in school history to do it. That winning percentage is still the highest in school history of any coach with more than 100 games coached. So as much as Mears meant to UT, I wouldn't call him the father of UT basketball.

But regardless, it's crazy to try and run down one of our great coaches by using another against him.

We're lucky to have had all of them. Hopefully Martin joins them instead of the much larger list of not so successful coaches we've had over the years.

 

[orangeluvr]

Ray will always be remembered for bringing the Earnie and Bernie show to Stokely.

 

[ukvols]

The NCAA only had 32 teams. Today he would have likely went 2 of the three years.

Actually, in his first three years, the tournament had 25, 25, and 23 teams. I don't know why it had less teams in 1965 than the prior two years.

 

[ukvols]

It was still only 25 teams in 1974. It went up to 32 in 1975 and stayed at 32 for the rest of the Mears era.

 

[sanglemangle]

Coach Mears didn't look for a new job at the end of every season.

 

[Special Ed]

He was a good speller, too.

 

[sanglemangle]

Plus he made about $50,000.Thank God for spell checkers.

 

[kyvol98]

Ray Mears was also the biggest thorn in the side of Adolph Rupp. I want to win the lottery, so I can buy the naming rights to the renovated Lexington Center/Rupp Arena. Imagine UK playing in the Ray Mears Arena. (Not that they would accept my money...)

 

[volboy81]

I looked it up to be sure. In his first three years at TN, Coach Mears went 13-11, 16-8, and20-5. 7th, 2nd, 2nd in the SEC. No tourney bid. By some on here's standards today, he would have been ran off. The best basketball coach in school history. When he was forced out he had the highest active winning percentage in the country. Go figure.

That was when 16 teams went to the NCAA tournament, not 68. Usually only 1 went from each conference. No conf tourneys either & why would he have been run off after B2B R/U finishes in the SEC?

 

[InVOLuntary]

Actually, in his first three years, the tournament had 25, 25, and 23 teams. I don't know why it had less teams in 1965 than the prior two years.

Thanks for the correction. I assumed 32 for some reason, you know what happens when you assume.

 

[walkenvol]

Let them come walking and talking over. They will be limping and crying on the way back.

Grandma Klump: Come on, Cletus! It aint nuthin' but a short walk. You might walk over, but you limpin' back! I aint no easy win, nigga!

 

[TNREADER]

Ray will always be remembered for bringing the Earnie and Bernie show to Stokely.

And Roger Peltz and his unicycle.

 

[macrovol]

I looked it up to be sure. In his first three years at TN, Coach Mears went 13-11, 16-8, and20-5. 7th, 2nd, 2nd in the SEC. No tourney bid. By some on here's standards today, he would have been ran off. The best basketball coach in school history. When he was forced out he had the highest active winning percentage in the country. Go figure.

Totally different situation. The program was crap the year Mears took over, in 3 years he had us in 2nd place, only to Kentucky, which was winning national championships at the time under Rupp. Everyone knew that Mears was turning the program around, and he proved it by later becoming a thorn in Rupp's side. Only the conference champion went to the NCAA in those days.

The comparison to the situation today is totally off the mark.