really good discussion on who is our greatest coach last week. Mears, Pearl and Barnes all have many accomplishments to their credit.
en.wikipedia.org
Mears came in after the 62 team went 4-19. He went 13-11 in his first year and beat UK both games. To put that in perspective we were 2-37 in our previous 39 games against the Kats. He also was 15-15 career against UK. Of course the knock on Mears is his 0-3 NCAA record. In 67 he lost to Dayton who went on to be the sacrificial lamb against UCLA in the finals. In 76 he lost to VMI without King and 77 lost to Syracuse who went on to lose by 22 to UNCC in the net round. Certainly his coaching was affected by his depression in 77 and probably 76. He retired after the 77 season.
Jerry Green inherited unbelievable talent from O'Neill but apparently never clicked with the players, fans and Dickey. Not a good idea to engage in a power struggle with Dickey, ask Johnny Majors.
Have to wonder what might have been when he blew a big lead against UNC in the 2000 sweet 16.
Pearl inherited a team with some talent and immediately coached them up. Revived the excitement at T-B and still is the only coach to get us to the Elite 8. Still have to wonder what might have happened if Tyler Smith hadn't been kicked off the team for the gun incident. The rest is history.
Cuonzo with all his detractors still came within a terrible call of making the Elite 8. Great guy, horrible fit after Pearl.
Barnes we all know about , took mediocre talent and in his third year had elevated us to the Top 10-12 of college BB. If he takes us to the Final 4 or beyond he is the GOAT of UT coaches. Until he does I would nominate Mears for taking over a program that went 4-19 and improved by 9 games including 2 against UK. But we have been fortunate to have all 3.
The story of UT hoops:
Of all the words of poets and men, the saddest is, "what might have been.: