Coach Barnes, Martin, or Pearl?

Barnes, Martin or Pearl??


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#1

lostsheep

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#1
Simple question...if you could pick one of the three (because lame polls only have two options :)) to coach the Vols moving forward, which would it be??
 
#3
#3
If I had to choose one of these, it would be Pearl. I don't think he'd do much better, but at least initially attendance would go up.
 
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#4
#4
For next year, I'd choose Martin. Look at how he is recruiting at Mizzou. Pearl has shown at Auburn that he needs high level assistants (such as Forbes and not Steven Pearl) on staff.

For long term, I'd probably choose none of the above. Martin would jet in 3 years, Pearl has struggled without great assistants, and Barnes isn't recruiting at a high enough level.
 
#5
#5
Before I answer, am I assured that there are no recruiting violations? Is this question being asked in a total vacuum, or must we assume that the reputations of these coaches will be a factor in the future?
 
#10
#10
For next year, I'd choose Martin. Look at how he is recruiting at Mizzou. Pearl has shown at Auburn that he needs high level assistants (such as Forbes and not Steven Pearl) on staff.

For long term, I'd probably choose none of the above. Martin would jet in 3 years, Pearl has struggled without great assistants, and Barnes isn't recruiting at a high enough level.

Good points. I definitely think Pearl was much better because of his assistants. I don't think we get to keep Martin's recruits.

So, I went with Barnes. I actually think he is a better on the court coach, and I never expected to say that about him when he was hired.
 
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#11
#11
I don't think any of them have great odds of making the final four anytime soon. They all have made it to the sweet sixteen at least once. I went with Barnes because he has the most wins of the three and has historically had more success in the tourney and on the recruiting trail.
 
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#12
#12
Gotta go with Barnes. Big buyout, and the other two have jobs elsewhere. Plus, the season would be uprooted this far into practices. Plus the cost of moving vans. And the wives have probably just gotten settled. And ...
 
#14
#14
Good points. I definitely think Pearl was much better because of his assistants. I don't think we get to keep Martin's recruits.

So, I went with Barnes. I actually think he is a better on the court coach, and I never expected to say that about him when he was hired.

Me either. In fact, it was my biggest concern. I thought he had simply outtalented everyone at Texas, but he is proven to me that he is a much better bench coach than I gave him credit for.
 
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#15
#15
Hard not to choose Pearl if he had continuity w/ UT.

That being said, think Barnes is the best coach. Remains to be seen, but I really do think this class will be stellar. We were predicted 13th, and finished tied for 8th in 2017...and if not for the late season slide, we were tracking the Dance, when no one gave us a chance. Nothing to brag about, but 8 first year Vols didn't help.
 
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#19
#19
So far, Bruce Pearl is the only one who has proved that he could take the proverbial Vols by the tail and lead us to the Elite Eight. The fan base wasn't that hyped up about basketball even during the halcyon days of Ray Mears. Based on that, if nothing else, I'd take Bruce. Besides that, he beat Barnes when Texas had the superior roster, including Durant. And that was not the only superior team we knocked off during his reign. We haven't been known for pulling off as many upsets since.
 
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#20
#20
Martin's recruiting, with Pearl's salesmanship, plus his recruiting, too and Barnes coaching would make the perfect UT coach
 
#21
#21
So far, Bruce Pearl is the only one who has proved that he could take the proverbial Vols by the tail and lead us to the Elite Eight. The fan base wasn't that hyped up about basketball even during the halcyon days of Ray Mears. Based on that, if nothing else, I'd take Bruce. Besides that, he beat Barnes when Texas had the superior roster, including Durant. And that was not the only superior team we knocked off during his reign. We haven't been known for pulling off as many upsets since.

Bruce's 2007-08 team went 31-5. 14-2 in the SEC which gave TN an outright SEC championship. Regular season record of 28-3 before going 1-1 in the SECT and 2-1 in the NCAAT... getting bounced by Louisville in the regional finals which prevented Tennessee from getting their first ever Elite Eight. Many people believe this to be TN's best team ever. This is the team that beat #1 Memphis at Memphis and had the #1 ranking for the next week. Remember that one other loss? Barnes and Texas beat the snot out of Bruce and TN, 78-97.
 
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#22
#22
Bruce's 2007-08 team went 31-5. 14-2 in the SEC which gave TN an outright SEC championship. Regular season record of 28-3 before going 1-1 in the SECT and 2-1 in the NCAAT... getting bounced by Louisville in the regional finals which prevented Tennessee from getting their first ever Elite Eight. Many people believe this to be TN's best team ever. This is the team that beat #1 Memphis at Memphis and had the #1 ranking for the next week. Remember that one other loss? Barnes and Texas beat the snot out of Bruce and TN, 78-97.

That Louisville team was a bad match-up for UT, for some reason. I always felt like if UT had played anybody else(in the same seeding match-up) they could have made the Elite 8
 
#24
#24
So far, Bruce Pearl is the only one who has proved that he could take the proverbial Vols by the tail and lead us to the Elite Eight. The fan base wasn't that hyped up about basketball even during the halcyon days of Ray Mears. Based on that, if nothing else, I'd take Bruce. Besides that, he beat Barnes when Texas had the superior roster, including Durant. And that was not the only superior team we knocked off during his reign. We haven't been known for pulling off as many upsets since.

Yet hasn't been able to do the same at Auburn with a superior roster.
 
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#25
#25
Pearl with Forbes & Shay was similar to Fulmer with Cutcliffe and Chavis. Take away the strong assistants, and these guys quickly look like mediocre coaches, but great recruiters.

IMO, Barnes is a better floor coach than Pearl or Martin, but, as Cuonzo has, needs to find a couple of recruiters to bring the talent in on a more consistent basis.

We need for Barnes to take a couple of teams to the tourney prior to retiring to Tellico...this will help make us nationally relevant again and hopefully attract a better coach down the road.
 

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