Vol Basketball

Just listened to an interview with Bruce Pearl here in Nashville and just got me thinking about the relationship between coaches and players.

Despite the potential season-ruining events for the basketball vols, it is incredible how Coach Pearl has united his team and re-defined the helter-skelter style of play that was established upon his arrival. With a shortage of players the team has been forced to play a slower style and adapt running a half-court offense. Coach Pearl has been able to do this by keeping bench warmers and potential "nobodies" ready for action by instilling a mutual trust with his players. For the record, the trust between coaches and players seems to be rapidly unravelling in college athletics. With coaches leaving at the drop of hat for bigger money and notariety, establishing a father-son type of relationship can be difficult. Pearl's montra of "keep ready" has rung true with his players. Case in point, Skylar McBee, a then unknown "walk-on" hitting a game winning 3 pointer to beat then #1 Kansas. He trusted his coach and kept ready in the biggest moment of their season so far.

The story is not just that the Vols have been able to win throughout this period, but their fight is as intense as it was 4 years ago, when Pearl began to establish a notable program in Knoxville. Many will say that Pearl taking the Vols to back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances were his best coaching jobs ever. In my opinion this season is proving to be the best coaching job I've seen in a long time in college athletics.