I've criticized Desmond because he's the one doing the majority of the recruiting for Barnes. I've also praised Schwartz recently for reeling in Pons. If I've failed to mention the entire assistant coaching staff vis a vis recruiting, it's because their names have not been associated with any particular recruit in the Barnes era from what I've read, although I may have missed a report or two along the way. I'd be as pleased as anyone else to see Desmond reel in a big fish, but he has not yet done so. It just seems to me that he's not aiming high enough, but that may be more Rick's fault than his. If Rick isn't pushing him to go after big recruits, maybe he feels there's no need to do so of his own volition. I get the feeling Desmond doesn't have enough self-confidence to compete with the big-name suitors on the recruiting trail.
As far as previous coaching staffs, I don't even remember whose name was associated with recruiting under our past head coaches, but I'm pretty sure that Bruce Pearl and Donnie Tyndall did the majority of their own recruiting while they were in Knoxville. I believe Jerrry Green did as well. I also recall being quite delighted back in the Seventies when Ray Mears and his staff landed both Ernie Grunfeld and Bernard King. I'm not sure whether Stu Aberdeen was involved in bringing in either of those two or not, but he may have been. I remember Don DeVoe as well, but not who was on his staff or who he recruited. I can't even remember who coached the Vols prior to Mears. I'd have to look it up, but I don't recall any noteworthy players prior to the Mears era.
