SEC coaches make it clear what they think of the Tennessee basketball program in latest ranking
Tennessee got a big vote of respect from SEC basketball coaches this week.
It appears as though SEC basketball coaches have a very respectful eye when they look at the Tennessee basketball program.
On3 Sports’ Jeff Goodman put out a list of how the SEC men’s basketball jobs are ranked based upon feedback and polling from head coaches and assistant coaches around the conference. When all the chips fell, Tennessee came in fourth on the list, behind only Kentucky, Texas, and Arkansas.
Tennessee ranks fourth in On3 Sports (Field of 68) SEC job rankings as voted on by SEC basketball coaches
Here’s what Goodman had to say about the parameters:
“There are no specific parameters. Each coach was able to utilize their own specific parameters to determine their list from top to bottom.
“However, while recruiting base and facilities were a major factor when I did a similar exercise in 2018, now it’s obviously financial resources (NIL) that are paramount.”
Kentucky checking in at the top spot is the no brainer of no brainers. They’re one of the sport’s blue bloods with a lot of resources committed to the program and a die-hard fanbase. I can also see Arkansas being up there, given their (relatively) strong history and passionate fanbase.
Texas being No. 2 is a bit odd to me. NIL must really be coming in strong there in the eyes of coaches, especially with the sport a far, far distant second to football there. Florida, in my opinion, deserves to be higher given their 21st century success (three national titles), including a championship last season.
But fourth is a pretty good spot for Tennessee to be in, and it makes sense. The Vol fanbase is fanatical and attends the games loyally. Tennessee is always going to be competitive in NIL and provide top-tier facilities. And the program is clearly one where you can draw top-end talent at the high school and transfer portal levels.
Hopefully Rick Barnes isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. But when he does, this proves that Tennessee won’t have a problem finding plenty of interested and intriguing candidates.
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