The Tennessee Volunteers are expected to be one of the top teams in the country again next season, despite losing several players to graduation. The Vols were one of only two teams that didn’t lose a single player to the transfer portal, which is rare in today's era.
In fact, upcoming junior Cade Phillips was actively recruited to enter the transfer portal by other coaches but chose to stay at Tennessee. Phillips explained his decision with a loyal response that isn’t often given.
“Everything I want, all the goals I set out, are all here,” Phillips said.
There were significant concerns that Rick Barnes might retire at the conclusion of this past season, but he put those rumors to rest when asked about it.
“Rick Barnes said he really hasn't thought about whether he'll retire after this season or many years from now. He said right now he doesn't think God wants him to retire, and he won’t retire until that point,” Wes Rucker reported.
Although the players stayed committed to Barnes, an important coach on the staff decided to leave for Indiana.
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“Indiana’s Darian DeVries will hire Tennessee’s Rod Clark as an assistant coach,” Jon Rothstein posted.
This is a significant loss for the program, as Clark was a key recruiter and had a deep understanding of Barnes' coaching system.
“Clark was a big part of the recruiting trail, which is something he will be responsible for in his new coaching duties,” Grant Ramey wrote.
As for Barnes, the news wasn’t a surprise, and he already feels confident that Clark’s position has been filled.
“Rod was great,” Barnes said Wednesday night. “But you know what? We feel we’ve got that position covered.”
The Vols may have lost a crucial part of their staff, but with Barnes as head coach, they are sure to find another great coach to step in. While Tennessee will miss Clark, the show must go on.