Tennessee Basketball Hires Veteran Coach Steve McClain

Tennessee Volunteers head coach Rick Barnes is bolstering his coaching staff by hiring veteran Steve McClain, who brings over three decades of college basketball experience including head coaching stints at Wyoming and Illinois-Chicago. McClain, who has been an assistant coach at Texas for the past three seasons and previously worked in the SEC at Georgia, is known for his energetic sideline presence and successful coaching tenure, notably leading Wyoming to the NCAA Tournament round of 32 in 2002 and earning Mountain West Coach of the Year honors. This addition follows Barnes' earlier hire of Amorrow Morgan to replace Rod Clark, and complements the existing staff comprising associate head coach Justin Gainey, assistants Gregg Polinsky, Brian Lentz, and Lucas Campbell who serves as director of player personnel and recruiting coordinator. McClain's extensive coaching background includes assistant roles at Indiana, Colorado, and TCU, as well as a NJCAA national championship at Hutchinson Community College. The moves aim to build on Tennessee's recent success, including consecutive Elite Eight appearances, as they prepare for the upcoming season. McClain's hiring is part of a broader reshuffling of coaching staffs in college basketball, with his departure from Texas expected following new staff appointments there.