When Tennessee hired Rick Barnes on March 31, 2015, it was not, to say the least, big news. For one thing, there was a Final Four getting set to tip off in Indianapolis, one featuring Michigan State, undefeated Kentucky, Wisconsin and eventual champion Duke.
For another thing, the Volunteers were, incredibly, on their fourth coach in a span of five years. Barnes was brought in to replace Donnie Tyndall, who had been fired after just one season in Knoxville because of NCAA charges against him stemming from his previous stop at Southern Miss.
Tyndall, of course, had been brought in to replace Cuonzo Martin, who took a job at Cal after just three full seasons with UT.