Five coaches top UT's list in search to replace Bruce Pearl GoVolsXtra
The University of Tennessee has started its search for a new men’s basketball coach with five coaches at the top of the list, according to a source in the school’s athletic department.
According to the source, who requested anonymity because all of the coaches have yet to be contacted, UT plans to have a coach in place within the next two weeks.
The five coaches that were at the top of UT’s list after Bruce Pearl was fired on Monday are:
Pittsburgh coach Jamie Dixon.
Villanova coach Jay Wright.
Alabama coach Anthony Grant.
Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon.
Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall.
UT senior associate athletic director Chris Fuller and UT associate athletic director Desiree Reed-Francois are taking active roles in the coaching search along with athletic director Mike Hamilton, and university chancellor Jimmy Cheek will oversee the process, according to the source.
Dixon, 45, was named the 2010-11 National Coach of the Year by The Sporting News. He is 216-60 in his eight seasons at Pitt, and has led the Panthers to NCAA tournament appearances each of those seasons.
The 49-year-old Wright is 224-110 at Villanova since taking over in 2001, and 346-195 with seven-seasons previously at Hofstra. Villanova has won 20 or more games and played in the NCAA tournament each of the past seven seasons.
Grant, 44, is 40-26 in two seasons, including 23-11 this season and playing in the third round of the NIT tournament after winning the SEC Western Division.
Prior to taking over at Alabama, Grant spent three seasons as coach at Virginia Commonwealth, where he led the Rams to a 76-25 record that included two trips to the NCAA tournament.
The 46-year-old Turgeon is 97-40 since replacing Billy Gillispie four years ago.
Prior to Texas A&M, Turgeon was coach at Wichita State, where he went 128-89, including a win over Pearl's first UT team in the second round of the 2006 NCAA tournament.
Marshall, 48, completed his fourth season with the Shockers having back-to-back 25-win seasons that led to NIT appearances.
Prior to Wichita State, Marshall made seven NCAA tournament appearances in his nine seasons at Winthrop, including one that ended with a buzzer-beating shot by Chris Lofton in a loss to Tennessee in a first-round game.