Bruce Pearl: best UT BB coach ever?

#1
albedo33

albedo33

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#1
Opinions vary on all who've coached UT athletics (except General Neyland of course, and maybe Pat Summit). However, a case can be made, based on accomplishments, that Bruce Pearl is the best BB coach in school history - although to be honest it isn't much of a horse race. Ray Mears and Don Devoe were great coaches to which we can compare CBP. Here are some achievements that rank CBP at the top among UT BB coaches:
1. Five straight trips to the NCAA tourney (tied with Don Devoe's 1st five years); 3/5 trips to the Sweet 16 and now UT's first ever Elite 8 appearance.
2. First time UT ever beat both the #1 & the #2 ranked teams in the nation in a single year (2009-10).
3. First ever ranking as #1 in Div-1 BB (after beating #1 Memphis in 2007-08, however UT was upset by Vandy the following game)
4. Highest winning percentage (CBP, 73.7%; Ray Mears, 71.3%).
5. Most victories, 31, in a single season (2007-2008).

Five seasons, of course, does not a career make. Don Devoe faded after his 5th season, so it remains to be seen what future success CBP has at UT. Regardless of what one thinks of him as a coach and a man, however, no BB coach has accomplished as much as he has during the first 5 years of his tenure.
 
#3
#3
It's probably fair to say now he's the best men's BBall coach we've had at this point with all he's done and poured into this program

(though you need to find his record against ranked teams and then top 10 teams cause we've also beaten a #2 Texas and a #4 Florida and maybe some others?)

you're getting into alot with the football coaches though
 
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#5
#5
Considering that he has more NCAA tournament victories than all previous coaches combined, and he's taken us further than any previous coach, it would be tough to argue that he isn't our best bball coach ever.
 
#7
#7
Since the NCAA Tournament is the measuring stick for success in college basketball, then I would say he would have to be the best in UT history.
 
#8
#8
I should have said, of course, "best men's BB coach ever." I doubt we'll ever see a men's BB coach achieve what Pat Summit has done with women's BB at UT..
 
#9
#9
albedo33 said:
I should have said, of course, "best men's BB coach ever." I doubt we'll ever see a men's BB coach achieve what Pat Summit has done with women's BB at UT..
Click to expand...

And I doubt most of us will care that much about what Summit has done.
 
#10
#10
albedo33 said:
I should have said, of course, "best men's BB coach ever." I doubt we'll ever see a men's BB coach achieve what Pat Summit has done with women's BB at UT..
Click to expand...

Right. and unfortunately the football coaches comparison is a bit hard b/c we've had several coaches win national championships
 
#11
#11
I'm only 25 so I didn't really start paying attention til the Jerry Green years so I'm kind of biased here but in my opinion there absolutely no doubt.
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#12
#12
Cdywolfe said:
I'm only 25 so I didn't really start paying attention til the Jerry Green years so I'm kind of biased here but in my opinion there absolutely no doubt.
Posted via VolNation Mobile
Click to expand...

You didn't miss all that much before. Plus count yourself lucky you missed the Houston years.
 
#16
#16
I think Bruce pearl is the best we've had.

I'm old enough to remember Ray Mears, who never was able to win a NCAA tournament game. He was a fine coach, but he couldn't get the Ernie & Bernie show teams past low level squads like VMI. A great "big game" coach, he could get the best out of his players when taking on Kentucky or Alabama, but they would sleep walk (especially defensively) against inferior teams.

Don Devoe was a better coach on the court than Ray Mears, but didn't have the style of a Mears or Pearl. Once the "pizazz" of the Mears era stopped drawing players like Dale Ellis, Tyrone Beamon and Howard Wood to the program, Coach Devoe was forced to field competitive teams without outstanding players on the roster. But I will always admire Don Devoe for the way his teams played and how well they were coached.

Bruce Pearl is a combination of both those coaches. He can promote the program and recruit with the very best in the country and he can scout, gameplan & coach with the best of them, as well.

Bruce is the best we've had.
 
#17
#17
Mears would have won a whole bunch of NCAA Tournament games if the field had been at 65 during his tenure.
 
#23
#23
Mears was very good, but I think Bruce has now got to be considered the best coach we've ever had. The job he has done this year post-Smith's departure has been remarkable.
 
#24
#24
A better question would be who was the worst: O'Neil or Houston? Buzz in the mix?

If i recall correctly (and I'm only 25) O'Neil was a fantastic recruiter but one of the worst game day coaches in the history of college basketball.

Green won with that talent.

I guess I'll go with Houston.
 
#25
#25
Mears was at Tennessee for 15 years and was certainly a great coach with many memorable regular season wins. Our most talented team ever was the 77 team w Earnie, Bearnie and R Johnson (freshman that season) the entire front line became 1st rd NBA choices. However Pearl has had great regular season and now great tourney success. If he is at Tennessee 15 years we will win a NC - how about this year?
 
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