The Tennessee Volunteers are looking for a new men’s basketball coach, again, this time after Cuonzo Martin left to take the same job with the California Golden Bears after flirting with Marquette after the Vols run to the Sweet 16 ended.
The hot name to be the next head coach in Knoxville is this year’s Henry Iba Coach of the Year winner, Gregg Marshall, from the Wichita State Shockers who went undefeated in the regular season and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but were knocked out in the second round to the eventual national runners-up, the Kentucky Wildcats.
Now the BIG question becomes whether Tennessee makes a run at Wichita State's Gregg Marshall.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 15, 2014
Two-pronged question: 1) Is Tennessee interested "this time" in Gregg Marshall? 2) Would he leave Wichita State now for Knoxville?
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 15, 2014
Marshall previously interviewed for the job in 2011 that eventually went to Buzz Peterson and at the time it was reported by CBSSports.com that he “desperately” wanted the job at the time, and has stated in the past he was happy he didn’t leave Wichita State.
Would he be interested more than a decade later?
If Marshall were to leave a place he is comfortable and by all accounts happy, could Tennessee make him an offer he couldn’t refuse? That number would have to be more than head football coach Butch Jones and for at least $3 million, according to Bleacher Report’s Jason King.
If Tennessee wants Gregg Marshall it better be prepared to fork over 3 million per year for 5 years. And that still may not be enough.
— Jason King (@JasonKingBR) April 15, 2014
Martin reportedly wasn’t treated in the way you would expect a coach with the third highest winning percentage in the SEC during his tenure as athletic director Dave Hart wasn’t prepared to make him one of the top-five highest paid, so could Marshall break the bank?
Marshall is set to make $1.3 million this year and Tennessee was prepared to offer Martin $1.8 million, if Tennessee wants to get the Coach of the Year, it’s time to open the purse strings.