Sports Source poll from yesterday's show

[Volfan1000]

Who was the better hire?

Barnes or Vitello?

They have both brought stability to their respective sport.

What does Vol Nation have to say?

 

[walkenvol]

Who was the better hire?

Barnes or Vitello?

They have both brought stability to their respective sport.

What does Vol Nation have to say?

Have to go with Barnes due to basketball being a higher profile and revenue generating sport. Both have their programs consistently competing at an elite level, so nobody can be wrong with either selection.

 

[YankeeVol]

Vitello. He has made it farther in the tourney, and more consistently.

 

[K-town Vol Fan]

Vitello. He has made it farther in the tourney, and more consistently.

Agree. I didn't even watch the baseball team before TV.

 

[SGMVols]

They’re equally great in my book

 

[volmanjr]

Couldn't live off the difference

 

[Godfatha]

We're fortunate to have both. They've both had similar success here. Won SEC titles, regular season and tourney, been ranked highly, and advanced to the elite 8 or equivalent.

 

[TrippieRedd]

We're fortunate to have both. They've both had similar success here. Won SEC titles, regular season and tourney, been ranked highly, and advanced to the elite 8 or equivalent.

Was going to put exactly this.

Literally even.

 

[rickyyrs]

Vitello. He has made it farther in the tourney, and more consistently.

Tennessee baseball had two 50 win seasons total in history, (i think that's what the announcers said). Vitello has three 50 win seasons in three out of four seasons.

 

[BisonVol]

In terms of revenue, Barnes. Strictly looking at it from a wins-losses perspective, definitely Vitello. I like many others on the board didn’t give a rip about Tennessee baseball until TV got here and got things going.

 

[pimo1]

Agree. I didn't even watch the baseball team before TV.

I see what you did there and I like it and even if that's not what you did. It still got done.

 

[SGMVols]

Tennessee baseball had two 50 win seasons total in history, (i think that's what the announcers said). Vitello has three 50 win seasons in three out of four seasons.

Tennessee basketball has five 25+ win seasons under Barnes.

Had three 25+ win seasons all time before Barnes.

 

[TrumpedUpVol]

Vitello has done a more impressive job, while Barnes has done a more critical job. Just as a consistent CFP participant/Top Ten football team coach will be viewed as a better hire than a consistent Sweet Sixteen participant/Top Ten basketball team coach given football's stature at both this university and through the wider NCAA landscape, the same holds true for basketball versus baseball.

 

[K-town Vol Fan]

Tennessee basketball has five 25+ win seasons under Barnes.

Had three 25+ win seasons all time before Barnes.

Yeah but Bruce Pearl got us to 2 Sweet 16s and an elite 8 in 5 years. He proved Tennessee basketball has the resources to be successful. Barnes capitalized on Pearl's f-ups in a way.

I don't recall TN baseball being relevant in my lifetime until these last 3 years and I'm 34.

 

[TrippieRedd]

Yeah but Bruce Pearl got us to 2 Sweet 16s and an elite 8 in 5 years. He proved Tennessee basketball has the resources to be successful. Barnes capitalized on Pearl's f-ups in a way.

I don't recall TN baseball being relevant in my lifetime until these last 3 years and I'm 34.

Rod Delmonico was the man.

3 tournament titles, 3 region championships. I guess people overlook him since he coached during the golden era of UT Football where that’s all we cared about lol


Baseball and Basketball both have the resources to be successful. It’s all about who you hire/fit.

 

[calban]

Hoping both win NCs and soon.

 

[cncchris33]

Yeah but Bruce Pearl got us to 2 Sweet 16s and an elite 8 in 5 years. He proved Tennessee basketball has the resources to be successful. Barnes capitalized on Pearl's f-ups in a way.

I don't recall TN baseball being relevant in my lifetime until these last 3 years and I'm 34.

Not really. A lot of water passed under the bridge between those two hires, including two NCAA investigations and a coach who left implicitly citing racism as a concern in our fanbase. Pearl put the wheels in motion, but two coaches failed in between for different reasons. I still think your overall point stands even without that designation.

 

[SGMVols]

Yeah but Bruce Pearl got us to 2 Sweet 16s and an elite 8 in 5 years. He proved Tennessee basketball has the resources to be successful. Barnes capitalized on Pearl's f-ups in a way.

I don't recall TN baseball being relevant in my lifetime until these last 3 years and I'm 34.

UT baseball was very good under Delmonico in the 90s/00s until he stopped making guys go to class and the APR penalties forced us to fire him.

 

[TrippieRedd]

Not really. A lot of water passed under the bridge between those two hires, including two NCAA investigations and a coach who left implicitly citing racism as a concern in our fanbase. Pearl put the wheels in motion, but two coaches failed in between for different reasons. I still think your overall point stands even without that designation.

Rod Delmonico (3 sec chips / 3 regionals) - Raleigh (meh) - Serrano (meh) - Vitello

Pearl - Counzo (meh) - Tyndall (meh) - Barnes

Very similar paths.

Barnes and Vitello’s success is also similar. It’s gotta be even.

 

[TrippieRedd]

UT baseball was very good under Delmonico in the 90s/00s until he stopped making guys go to class and the APR penalties forced us to fire him.

People forget Delmonico because it was during the golden era of UT football. I don’t think anyone watched anything else other than football.

1990-2007

 

[cncchris33]

Rod Delmonico (3 sec chips / 3 regionals) - Raleigh (meh) - Serrano (meh) - Vitello

Pearl - Counzo (meh) - Tyndall (meh) - Barnes

Very similar paths.

Barnes and Vitello’s success is also similar. It’s gotta be even.

Making Omaha is nearly the equivalent of making a F4. At worst, it's an E8, and Tony is knocking on the door of 3 of those in 6 tries. I got to give him the edge, and I love Barnes. Vitello dominates that sport right now. That doesn't diminish Barnes's efforts, and Barnes is doing it in the collegiate sport that matters more. So maybe you weigh the impact vs the importance.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

Making Omaha is nearly the equivalent of making a F4. At worst, it's an E8, and Tony is knocking on the door of 3 of those in 6 tries. I got to give him the edge, and I love Barnes. Vitello dominates that sport right now. That doesn't diminish Barnes's efforts, and Barnes is doing it in the collegiate sport that matters more. So maybe you weigh the impact vs the importance.

Double elimination makes a difference

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

Yeah but Bruce Pearl got us to 2 Sweet 16s and an elite 8 in 5 years. He proved Tennessee basketball has the resources to be successful. Barnes capitalized on Pearl's f-ups in a way.

I don't recall TN baseball being relevant in my lifetime until these last 3 years and I'm 34.

It would be hard for you to make an informed and objective take. You're usually highly critical of Barnes and rarely, if ever, offer any praise for one of college basketball's elite coaches. Given that last comment, and your age, I can see why you don't know any better

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

It would be hard for you to make an informed and objective take. You're usually highly critical of Barnes and rarely, if ever, offer any praise for one of college basketball's elite coaches. Given that last comment, and your age, I can see why you don't know any better

I wonder what happened to Checkers? He used to relentlessly bash CRB and troll the board and I can’t find any posts. I guess either a new name or got the @Freak delete.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

I wonder what happened to Checkers? He used to relentlessly bash CRB and troll the board and I can’t find any posts. I guess either a new name or got the @Freak delete.

I know K-Town never shows up in basketball forum except when Vols lose