Bruce Pearl vs Don Devo...no comparison!
by Mike Edenfield on Monday, February 28, 2011 at 4:10pm
I think its interesting how most Tennessee fans forget about Don Devo and what a great job he did at Tennessee! Most want to think Bruce Pearl is the greatest thing to happen to the University of Tennessee since General Neyland! Well consider a few things!!!
Don Devo coached at the University of Tennessee for 11 seasons and finished his tenure with a winning record...no NCAA sanctions...the program was respected...during his tenure he took the first Tennessee team to the Sweet Sixteen in 1981, and 12 of his players that he recruited were drafted into the NBA...he also recruited and coached one of the four greatest players in UT history...DALE ELLIS (The others being Bernard King, Ernie Grunfield, and Allan Houston). In his last season, Devo was 19-11...another winning record! Now back in 1981, it was a lot tougher to get in the NCAA tournament but he still took a team to the tournament and played a great Virginia team! And oh yeah...guess what else he must have done a pretty good job...We opened Thompson Boling Arena during his tenure! Tennessee basketball might not have had the flair of Pearl but it sure didn't have the negativity of him either!
Now Pearl...5 years...NO NBA drafted players...he has not recruited one player that has been drafted in the NBA (CJ Watson does not count...he did not get drafted)...his shinning pearl...no pun intended...was Chris Lofton...who he did not recruit...yet even Lofton couldn't get drafted in the NBA! Yeah we have had some success but we have had our share of off the court problems also...not even counting the NCAA sanctions that loom in front of us! Are we respected by the announcers, NCAA, parents of kids wanting to play college basketball, etc....well look at our team...not exactly a bunch of stars! Now he has had his time to recruit stars...every team loses kids every year...its the coaching staff and mainly the head coach to replace those kids with incoming stars...fans say you have to play the hand that is dealt to you....he was the dealer!
This team is where its at because of Pearl...if its the players...well guess what...its his players!!! He says in an interview he doesn't know what to do after the lost to Mississippi State...hmmm...then why do we need him? Anybody salesman can paint himself up and sing Rocky Top and win a game every once in a while because of hype!
I think Bruce has done a good job making UT basketball excitable again...but I will quote Heather Harrington from the Sports Animal today..."Bruce Pearl don't walk on water"..."He ain't the only person that can coach or would come to UT to coach for that kind of money"! I agree!
The only thing I have to say is this and I have been saying it for a long time now....."YOU CAN'T COACH ONE WAY AND LVIE ANOTHER"..."YOU CAN'T TAKE THE STRIPES OFF A TIGER"..."YOU ARE WHAT YOU ARE"! If you are gonna live and act and be one way.....expect that also on the UT BASKETBALL COURT....AND OFF!
PEACE
Mike Edenfield
1 Timothy 1 15-17
Don Devo coached at the University of Tennessee for 11 seasons and finished his tenure with a winning record...no NCAA sanctions...the program was respected...during his tenure he took the first Tennessee team to the Sweet Sixteen in 1981, and 12 of his players that he recruited were drafted into the NBA...he also recruited and coached one of the four greatest players in UT history...DALE ELLIS (The others being Bernard King, Ernie Grunfield, and Allan Houston). In his last season, Devo was 19-11...another winning record! Now back in 1981, it was a lot tougher to get in the NCAA tournament but he still took a team to the tournament and played a great Virginia team! And oh yeah...guess what else he must have done a pretty good job...We opened Thompson Boling Arena during his tenure! Tennessee basketball might not have had the flair of Pearl but it sure didn't have the negativity of him either!
Now Pearl...5 years...NO NBA drafted players...he has not recruited one player that has been drafted in the NBA (CJ Watson does not count...he did not get drafted)...his shinning pearl...no pun intended...was Chris Lofton...who he did not recruit...yet even Lofton couldn't get drafted in the NBA! Yeah we have had some success but we have had our share of off the court problems also...not even counting the NCAA sanctions that loom in front of us! Are we respected by the announcers, NCAA, parents of kids wanting to play college basketball, etc....well look at our team...not exactly a bunch of stars! Now he has had his time to recruit stars...every team loses kids every year...its the coaching staff and mainly the head coach to replace those kids with incoming stars...fans say you have to play the hand that is dealt to you....he was the dealer!
This team is where its at because of Pearl...if its the players...well guess what...its his players!!! He says in an interview he doesn't know what to do after the lost to Mississippi State...hmmm...then why do we need him? Anybody salesman can paint himself up and sing Rocky Top and win a game every once in a while because of hype!
I think Bruce has done a good job making UT basketball excitable again...but I will quote Heather Harrington from the Sports Animal today..."Bruce Pearl don't walk on water"..."He ain't the only person that can coach or would come to UT to coach for that kind of money"! I agree!
The only thing I have to say is this and I have been saying it for a long time now....."YOU CAN'T COACH ONE WAY AND LVIE ANOTHER"..."YOU CAN'T TAKE THE STRIPES OFF A TIGER"..."YOU ARE WHAT YOU ARE"! If you are gonna live and act and be one way.....expect that also on the UT BASKETBALL COURT....AND OFF!
PEACE
Mike Edenfield
1 Timothy 1 15-17
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