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Tennessee assistant basketball coach Jon Harris
Photo by Wade Payne
Tennessee assistant basketball coach Kent Williams
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KNOXVILLE — Tennessee's two new basketball assistants say they can get right to business thanks to their familiarity with their boss, Volunteers coach Cuonzo Martin.
Martin has hired Jon Harris and Kent Williams for his Tennessee staff after the pair spent the past three seasons as his assistants at Missouri State. Before their first season together in 2008-09, Martin had never been a head coach and Harris and Williams had never been assistants.
"It takes time as a head coach to figure out what you want and how the guys on your staff are going to work," Williams said Monday. "Now coming here, he knows what to expect from us and we know what to expect from him."
Williams arrived in Knoxville on Sunday and has already joined Harris, who was hired on Thursday, in contacting recruits. Both said they're quickly trying to get to know the current Vols players while bringing new ones to the program.
Martin last week released signee Kevin Ware, a guard from Conyers, Ga., from his letter of intent. He'll have at least four scholarships positions to fill and as many as six, should junior guard Scotty Hopson and freshman forward Tobias Harris choose to enter the NBA draft.
"The recruiting scene is so competitive that as a staff you've got to have a close-knit group," Harris said. "We trust each other. The loyalty is there, and we really know what we're getting with each other. I think that's half the battle going forward."
In addition to his three years at Missouri State, Harris, 30, has also worked as an assistant at Wisconsin-Green Bay for five seasons and Marquette for one season. He was a forward at Marquette from 1997-2002.
Williams also served as supervisor of basketball operations at Purdue in 2008, while Martin was an assistant coach there. He was a guard at Southern Illinois from 1999 to 2003.
Martin, who was hired by Tennessee on March 27, will add at least two more staff members.
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Comments » 9
VOLDoll writes:
Welcome aboard gentlemen! Just do Vol nation a favor and do it with integrity and honor. As you know our last coaching staff was as crooked and dishonest as they come?
orangecountyvols writes:
Vols,
Notice the above individual used the term "gentlemen."
Too bad we cannot use the term "lady" in this case. What a loser.............never gives up on her hate habit..........
VOLliven2it writes:
Guys or whatever term is acceptable to orange countyvols, we are glad you are on board and comfortable with our new head coach at UT. We know you can get the job done and help the malcontents and holders on to past coaches to let it go. Now dudes, go get some top notch recruits. GO BIG ORANGE!
GreyhairedVol writes:
I second that VolDoll and I think it's refreshing that you stood by your principles and didnt buy into Pearls B.S.
Dont worry about the haters, obviously most of them never had the upbringing that you or I did. Hopefully, with that said we can move past the Pearl era and start a winning tradition without the dishonesty that brought so much attention to Knoxville and UT.
Rich_Is_Re-born writes:
5 failed drug tests for Brian Williams???? Is this true, does anyone know? The rumor is floating. Hell, EVERY TIME I seen him and Cam in person they were high. Hell, EVERY TIME I saw them on TV they were high. I also found an old blog regarding the Bruce Pearl/Deon Thomas thing where a UMW fan was saying Pearl turned a blind eye to drug testing. I've got this feeling that the further we get away from the Bruce Pearl era, the worse ole' Bruce is gonna look.
GreyhairedVol writes:
Hopefully you will mature in high school and play for the Vols someday. Keep your chin up youngster, the program is a lot bigger than one person and from what I am hearing through the grapevine Pearl was not smart enough to stay out of his own way and was determined to run this program into the ground more than he already may have done.
SmokeyWazHere writes:
"New Vols assistants settle in under familiar coach"
So this automatically qualifies us for the final four next year right?
jhayes0926#638474 writes:
Pearl is gone. Why keep raggin him? Let the dog lie.
SummittsCourt writes:
Well, just like the football program the basketball team will be young and inexperienced on both the players and coaching aspects.
Here we go!
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