Gregg Marshall (Wichita State)
Pros: His resume speaks for itself. He won 71.6 % of his games and made the NCAA Tournament in 11 of his 17 years as a head coach. He’s been to a Final Four and is just 52 years of age. He’s won 16 regular season and conference tournament championships. Marshall also isn’t making a ton of money (around $1.75 million per year). He’s a proven winner who coached Wichita State to an undefeated season last year and a Sweet 16 this year. Can he take the Shockers any higher? Probably not. He might be looking for a good opportunity in a power conference and has listened to overtures from UT before.
Cons: There are no cons on the court. Off the court, he’s notoriously hard to work with and is not in any way a salesman. He hasn’t endeared himself to those around him. That’s not a big deal to fans, but it is to folks who make decisions. He’s also not likely to leave Wichita for Tennessee. He turned down $2+ million offers from major conference teams multiple times.With multiple reports out there that Alabama is prepared to pay him in excess of $3 million a season, he’s likely out of Tennessee’s price range. And Tennessee burned multiple bridges with Marshall during previous coaching searches. He’s a name people will focus on, but isn’t a realistic option.
