No. 6: 2011-12
Head Coach: Cuonzo Martin
Record: 19-15 (10-6, SEC)
Best win(s): vs. No. 11 UConn, at No. 8 Florida
Key Players: Jeronne Maymon, Cameron Tatum, Jarnell Stokes
The decade was off to a rocky start for Tennessee, as beloved head coach Bruce Pearl was fired after turning a barbecue with a high-profile recruit into a convoluted NCAA scandal.
Cuonzo Martin was hired, a relatively unproven coach from Missouri State who was better known for his collegiate and professional playing career than coaching. His mannerisms and style of play could not have been more opposite of Pearl’s. Martin was a soft-spoken, no-nonsense coach that played a slow, grind-it-out, defensive style of play.
With a talented roster that brought 5-star forward Jarnell Stokes out of Memphis mid-season, Tennessee struggled to maintain a winning record for most of the year. Martin’s unit appeared to be turning the corner after a sweep over an Elite Eight-destined Florida team, and a win against the defending national champions, No. 11 UConn in a game honoring Lady Vols head coach Pat Summitt. Tennessee ended the season going 10-3 in the final 13 games, and earning a surprise No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament with an 18-13 record. A pair of wins in Nashville could propel the Vols into the NCAA Tournament in Martin’s first year.
That idea was short-lived, as Tennessee fell to No. 7 seed Ole Miss in the quarterfinals, 77-72 in double-overtime. A trip to the NIT only lasted until the second round with a loss to Middle Tennessee State, and the season ended on a sour note. Tennessee fans did remain hopeful for the future, as most of the talent on the Vols would be back for the next season.
NEXT: Tennessee’s basketball teams from the past decade