OUTLOOK PLAYERS STAFF REVIEW 35 RESULTS RECORDS HONORS POSTSEASON VOLMANAC MEDIA INFO THE STAFF UTSPORTS.COM AMERICA’S TOP-SCORING COACHING STAFF Cuonzo Martin has more than 5,000 reasons to believe his Tennessee coaching staff is one of the finest in college basketball. 5,381 Reasons Actually. Martin began his tenure as UT head coach in March and immediately set to work formulating the assistant coaching staff. Within 10 days of taking over the Vols basketball program, Martin hired Jon Harris, Tracy Webster and Kent Williams as his assistant coaches. And he didn’t just hire a trio of energetic young assistants; he inadvertently built the highest-scoring In his first two seasons at Purdue, Cuonzo Martin went 0-for-7 from 3-point range. But prior to staff in major college hoops this season. his junior year, he spent countless hours in the gym honing his long-range shot, and he finished his four-year career as Purdue’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made (179-397, .451). Tennessee’s four-man coaching staff scored 5,381 through this; we know what you’re going through.’ are thinking. We’re not too far removed. We can talk points during their Division I playing days to lead To hear words like that is different but it’s great. They about guys in the NBA who we played against and the country. understand.” who they can relate to.” “This staff is full of guys who have been high-level Williams says while many different types of indi- players in Division I basketball,” Martin said. “We viduals make great coaches, it’s no accident Martin PLAYED WITH D-WADE know what it takes to not only perform at your best put the staff together the way he did. Harris certainly played with one of the best during on the court but also manage the demands of being “I think he likes having guys who have played be- his Marquette days. Paired with future NBA superstar cause we’re working with guys on the court,” Williams a student-athlete.” Wade for Harris’ senior season, the Golden Eagles said. “No. 1, it earns the respect of the players. Not that went 26-7 and finished No. 9 in the final Associated Martin scored 1,666 points at Purdue from 1992- we use it, but we could tell them to go look it up. See Press poll. Harris was a two-year captain and one of 95. Webster was a Big Ten contemporary of Martin’s, what we’ve done. It’s right there in black and white. the 20 best rebounders in Conference USA history. scoring 1,264 at Wisconsin from 1991-94. Harris “Also, the four of us were different types of play- He went into coaching the following season at tallied 439 points from 1999-2002 while playing ers. Some of us were self-made players. Some of Marquette under Tom Crean, helping his alma mater alongside Dwyane Wade at Marquette, and Williams us started from day one. Some of us came off the win the C-USA title and advance to the Final Four. ended his career as the second leading scorer in bench and worked our way into the starting rota- Southern Illinois history with 2,012 points. tion. So now when we have relationships with these Harris watched as Wade guided the Golden Eagles past Kentucky in the NCAA regional final with a tri- Auburn’s coaching staff is next at 4,373 career players, we’ve been in different spots.” ple-double of 29 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. points, according to research by Tom Satkowiak and Williams came to Tennessee after working three “It’s something that is great for us, especially the UT Media Relations staff, followed by Valparaiso years on Martin’s staff at Missouri State. Before that, from a recruiting standpoint,” Harris said of the play- (4,146), Kansas (3,834) and Duke (3,805) in the top five. Martin and he were on the Purdue staff under Gene Keady, Martin as an assistant coach and Williams as ing staff’s success. “We have guys who have been Will successful playing careers translate to wins through the fire. The guys on our current roster and and development in today’s game? Martin thinks so. supervisor of basketball operations. During his playing career at Southern Illinois from guys we bring in aren’t going to go through an ex- “I’m excited about the coaching staff we’ve put in 2000-03, Williams earned All-Missouri Valley Confer- perience we haven’t seen. place,” he said. “These are honest, hard-working guys ence honors in each of his last two seasons and was “We’re not that far removed from what they’re going with a passion for the game of basketball. They’re all the only player in SIU history to lead the team in through. I think we’re all approachable guys, easy to excited at coaching on the floor, recruiting, scouting, scoring four straight years. The Salukis advanced to communicate with. And we have a good understand- teaching and developing young players.” the NCAA Sweet Sixteen in 2002. ing of what they’re going through day to day.” Following graduation, Williams spent one season Harris went on to coach five seasons at Wisconsin- GOLDEN GETS IT playing in the NBA Developmental League and was Green Bay before joining Martin at Missouri State for Sophomore Trae Golden already sees an impact the league’s top 3-point shooter both in made bas- the last three years. from interacting with coaches who truly have a feel kets and percentage. “Jon played with one of the greatest players in the for how the game is played. “Coach Harris and I are not too far removed from game in Dwyane Wade, so he really knows what it “Coach Williams and I talk for hours a day about our playing days, so we’ve got a good feel for what takes to be a great role player,” Martin said. “And be- basketball and being point guards,” Golden said. “It’s these guys are feeling,” Williams said. “The longer cause of his effectiveness as a communicator, he can great. Sometimes in practice they say, ‘We’ve been you are out of it the less you maybe know what they really help our guys understand and accept their roles.” 36 TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS BASKETBALL /// 2011-12 MEDIA GUIDE AMERICA’S TOP-SCORING COACHING STAFF OUTLOOK TOP-SCORING ACTIVE DIVISION I STAFFS PLAYERS 5,381 4,373 4,146 STAFF 3,915 3,8343,805 3,8053,804 3,756 3,804 3,712 3,646 3,367 REVIEW RESULTS RECORDS Includes points scored at Division I institutions only; Also includes current full-time “coaches” only (no support staff) Jon Harris CONFERENCE RIVALS and he helped lead Purdue to a 90-37 record during Webster is the newcomer to Martin’s staff, but he’s his four-year career and a combined 54-12 mark his HONORS no stranger to the Vols new head coach. last two seasons. During Martin’s senior year, he aver- INSIDE THE NUMBERS Webster and Martin were Big Ten rivals at Purdue aged 18.4 points while leading Purdue to the second and Wisconsin in the early 1990s, with Martin get- of three consecutive Big Ten championships. ting the best of those matchups by a 4-2 margin. After his first two years at Purdue, Martin was y Accounted for 5,381 points, 1,571 rebounds, Both earned all-conference honors and Webster, a 0-for-7 from 3-point range. But by the time his career 1,180 assists, 420 steals and a stellar .445 field- three-time captain, still holds the Badgers record for was over, Martin held the school’s all-time record for goal percentage POSTSEASON career assists with 501. 3-pointers made of 179. y They later coached together as assistants at Pur- Those numbers certainly caught the attention of Combined to average 11.6 points, 3.4 re- due in 2004. Now, Webster is glad to be reunited Vols senior guard Cameron Tatum, who is Tennes- bounds and 2.5 assists per game with his former playing foe on the coaching bench. see’s active leader with 108 career 3-pointers. “Our leader, Coach Martin, he’s done an unbelievable y Boasted a combined 1.45 assist/turnover ratio “It’s great to pick his brain on different things, like job of getting these players close to what he wants,” when you’re on a hot streak,” Tatum said. “He knows y Racked up 293 wins, four conference champi- Webster said. “Before it’s all over with, these guys will that feeling. It’s not going to be a case of hitting two onships and appeared in 14 NCAA Tournament be like a tight fist. That’s what it’s going to take. VOLMANAC 3’s in a row and coming out of the game. Coach Mar- games “It’s not just because we played, but we’ve been tin is going to think, ‘OK, I’m going to leave him in. through it. Now we’ve just got to continue finding a He’s got that feeling and he might hit six more.’” way to explain it and get it across to them, ‘Look, this Martin had one of those nights playing in the same is how it needs to be done.’” building Tatum loves – Thompson-Boling Arena. The four of us were different Other coaching stops for Webster in addition to On March 24, 1994, Martin set the Purdue school Purdue included Ball State, Illinois, two seasons at record for 3-pointers made with eight in an NCAA types of players.