Donnie Tyndall Out at UT: Will Georgia Basketball Benefit?
The Tennessee basketball program is looking for its third head coach in three years. Can the Dawgs take advantage on the recruiting trail?
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Coaching carousel season continues with Donnie Tyndal’s dismissal as Tennessee head basketball coach .
“It is disappointing that we have to take this action,” Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart said in a statement reported by ESPN news services. “It is highly likely that Coach Tyndall will face significant penalties at the conclusion of the NCAA’s infractions process. We believe that this decision is in the best interests of the University of Tennessee.”
Tyndall is at the center of a Southern Miss investigation of its men basketball program. Southern Mississippi announced a self-imposed postseason ban for its men’s basketball program in January.
While the firing is bad news for Tennessee and certainly an unfortunate event for Tyndall, the firing could have positive consequences for the Georgia basketball program. Tennessee’s lone 2016 basketball recruiting commitment is Romello White, a 6’8” 210, a 247sports.com four-star power forward playing at the IMG School in Bradenton Florida. White transferred to IMG from the Peachtree Ridge high School area.
Tennessee was the first school to recruit White seriously and White responded with an early commitment to the Volunteers. However, Volquest.com reports White received offers from Georgia, Georgia Tech, Alabama and Cincinnati.
Georgia Bulldogs
With Georgia needing big men to round out its roster in 2016, 2017 and 2018, White may receive interest from the Bulldogs should he open his recruiting back up. There have been no reports of White de-committing from Tennessee yet, but should he do so, the Bulldogs likely will try to get back in the race for his services.
I any event, it’s an ill wind that blows no good and the unfortunate events in Knoxville will be a benefit to Georgia and other programs that compete with Tennessee for recruits. Stability is a key ingredient in any successful college athletic program and with Alabama and Tennessee without coaches and Auburn breaking in now second year coach Bruce Pearl, a recent NCAA bad boy, the Dawgs are sitting in the cat bird seat.