Tennessee Volunteers basketball — program history

Tennessee's basketball program began in 1909, and the 'Volunteers' nickname comes from Tennessee's designation as 'The Volunteer State,' earned when overwhelming numbers of soldiers volunteered for the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War. The mascot Smokey, a Bluetick Coonhound named for the Great Smoky Mountains, was selected in 1953 when a dog named Blue Smokey barked and howled at a halftime selection contest — prompting roaring student approval. Tennessee has been a consistent SEC contender with multiple Sweet Sixteen appearances and a tradition of passionate orange-clad fans.

The name

The 'Volunteers' nickname comes from Tennessee's role as 'The Volunteer State'; mascot Smokey is a Bluetick Coonhound named for the Great Smoky Mountains

Signature moment

Three straight Elite Eight runs from 2024 to 2026 under Rick Barnes, the deepest sustained stretch of success in program history, cementing Thompson-Boling Arena as one of the toughest venues in the SEC

Smokey II was dognapped by Kentucky students in 1955, and Smokey VIII had to have emergency veterinary care before the 1998 football championship game after eating a hotel washcloth

The Tennessee Volunteers compete in the SEC and hold an all-time record of 1824–1121 (.619 winning percentage) across 117 recorded seasons dating back to 1908-09.

Season-by-season results

Season	Record	Conference	Coach	AP peak
2025-26	25-12	11-7 (SEC)	Rick Barnes	AP #12
2024-25	30-8	12-6 (SEC)	Rick Barnes	AP #1
2023-24	27-9	14-4 (SEC)	Rick Barnes	AP #4
2022-23	25-11	11-7 (SEC)	Rick Barnes	AP #2
2021-22	27-8	14-4 (SEC)	Rick Barnes	AP #5
2020-21	18-9	10-7 (SEC)	Rick Barnes	AP #6
2019-20	17-14	9-9 (SEC)	Rick Barnes	AP #17
2018-19	31-6	15-3 (SEC)	Rick Barnes	AP #1
2017-18	26-9	13-5 (SEC)	Rick Barnes	AP #13
2016-17	16-16	8-10 (SEC)	Rick Barnes
2015-16	15-19	6-12 (SEC)	Rick Barnes
2014-15	16-16	7-11 (SEC)	Donnie Tyndall
2013-14	24-13	11-7 (SEC)	Cuonzo Martin
2012-13	20-13	11-7 (SEC)	Cuonzo Martin
2011-12	19-15	10-6 (SEC)	Cuonzo Martin
2010-11	19-15	8-8 (SEC)	Bruce Pearl	AP #7
2009-10	28-9	11-5 (SEC)	Bruce Pearl	AP #8
2008-09	21-13	10-6 (SEC)	Bruce Pearl	AP #8
2007-08	31-5	14-2 (SEC)	Bruce Pearl	AP #1
2006-07	24-11	10-6 (SEC)	Bruce Pearl	AP #16
2005-06	22-8	12-4 (SEC)	Bruce Pearl	AP #8
2004-05	14-17	6-10 (SEC)	Buzz Peterson
2003-04	15-14	7-9 (SEC)	Buzz Peterson
2002-03	17-12	9-7 (SEC)	Buzz Peterson
2001-02	15-16	7-9 (SEC)	Buzz Peterson
2000-01	22-11	8-8 (SEC)	Jerry Green	AP #4
1999-00	26-7	12-4 (SEC)	Jerry Green	AP #5
1998-99	21-9	12-4 (SEC)	Jerry Green	AP #9
1997-98	20-9	9-7 (SEC)	Jerry Green
1996-97	11-16	4-12 (SEC)	Kevin O'Neill
1995-96	14-15	6-10 (SEC)	Kevin O'Neill
1994-95	11-16	4-12 (SEC)	Kevin O'Neill
1993-94	5-22	2-14 (SEC)	Wade Houston
1992-93	13-17	4-12 (SEC)	Wade Houston
1991-92	19-15	8-8 (SEC)	Wade Houston
1990-91	12-22	3-15 (SEC)	Wade Houston
1989-90	16-14	10-8 (SEC)	Wade Houston
1988-89	19-11	11-7 (SEC)	Don DeVoe	AP #16
1987-88	16-13	9-9 (SEC)	Don DeVoe
1986-87	14-15	7-11 (SEC)	Don DeVoe
1985-86	12-16	5-13 (SEC)	Don DeVoe
1984-85	22-15	8-10 (SEC)	Don DeVoe
1983-84	21-14	9-9 (SEC)	Don DeVoe
1982-83	20-12	9-9 (SEC)	Don DeVoe	AP #8
1981-82	20-10	13-5 (SEC)	Don DeVoe	AP #15
1980-81	21-8	12-6 (SEC)	Don DeVoe	AP #8
1979-80	18-11	12-6 (SEC)	Don DeVoe	AP #19
1978-79	21-12	12-6 (SEC)	Don DeVoe	AP #20
1977-78	11-16	6-12 (SEC)	Cliff Wettig
1976-77	22-6	16-2 (SEC)	Ray Mears	AP #7
1975-76	21-6	14-4 (SEC)	Ray Mears	AP #7
1974-75	18-8	12-6 (SEC)	Ray Mears	AP #15
1973-74	17-9	12-6 (SEC)	Ray Mears
1972-73	15-9	13-5 (SEC)	Ray Mears	AP #14
1971-72	19-6	14-4 (SEC)	Ray Mears	AP #19
1970-71	21-7	13-5 (SEC)	Ray Mears	AP #8
1969-70	16-9	10-8 (SEC)	Ray Mears	AP #6
1968-69	21-7	13-5 (SEC)	Ray Mears	AP #17
1967-68	20-6	13-5 (SEC)	Ray Mears	AP #4
1966-67	21-7	15-3 (SEC)	Ray Mears	AP #8
1965-66	18-8	10-6 (SEC)	Ray Mears
1964-65	20-5	12-4 (SEC)	Ray Mears	AP #8
1963-64	16-8	9-5 (SEC)	Ray Mears
1962-63	13-11	6-8 (SEC)	Ray Mears
1961-62	4-19	2-12 (SEC)	John Sines
1960-61	10-15	4-10 (SEC)	John Sines
1959-60	12-11	7-7 (SEC)	John Sines
1958-59	14-8	8-6 (SEC)	Emmett Lowery	AP #5
1957-58	16-7	8-6 (SEC)	Emmett Lowery	AP #13
1956-57	13-9	5-9 (SEC)	Emmett Lowery	AP #12
1955-56	10-14	6-8 (SEC)	Emmett Lowery
1954-55	15-7	8-6 (SEC)	Emmett Lowery	AP #18
1953-54	11-12	7-7 (SEC)	Emmett Lowery
1952-53	13-8	7-6 (SEC)	Emmett Lowery
1951-52	13-9	7-7 (SEC)	Emmett Lowery
1950-51	10-13	5-9 (SEC)	Emmett Lowery
1949-50	15-11	5-6 (SEC)	Emmett Lowery	AP #17
1948-49	19-7	8-3 (SEC)	Emmett Lowery
1947-48	20-5	10-2 (SEC)	Emmett Lowery
1946-47	16-5	10-3 (SEC)	John Mauer
1945-46	14-4	8-3 (SEC)	John Mauer
1944-45	18-5	8-2 (SEC)	John Mauer
1942-43	14-4	6-3 (SEC)	John Mauer
1941-42	19-3	7-1 (SEC)	John Mauer
1940-41	17-5	8-3 (SEC)	John Mauer
1939-40	14-7	7-3 (SEC)	John Mauer
1938-39	14-7	6-5 (SEC)	John Mauer
1937-38	15-8	7-4 (SEC)	Blair Gullion
1936-37	17-5	7-1 (SEC)	Blair Gullion
1935-36	15-6	8-4 (SEC)	Blair Gullion
1934-35	11-5	7-4 (SEC)	W.H. Britton
1933-34	10-7	3-5 (SEC)	W.H. Britton
1932-33	9-11	3-7 (SEC)	W.H. Britton
1931-32	8-7	5-5 (Southern)	W.H. Britton
1930-31	11-10	4-8 (Southern)	W.H. Britton
1929-30	13-4	7-2 (Southern)	W.H. Britton
1928-29	11-5	7-4 (Southern)	W.H. Britton
1927-28	0-12	0-8 (Southern)	W.H. Britton
1926-27	7-12	5-4 (Southern)	W.H. Britton
1925-26	9-8	1-3 (Southern)	Mark Banks
1924-25	6-8	1-5 (Southern)	Mark Banks
1923-24	10-8	5-5 (Southern)	Mark Banks
1922-23	15-2	3-1 (Southern)	Mark Banks
1921-22	12-7	1-3 (Southern)	Mark Banks
1920-21	8-7	Southern	John Bender
1919-20	11-3	Ind	John Bender
1918-19	2-6	Ind	R.H. Fitzgerald
1917-18	3-9	Ind	R.H. Fitzgerald
1916-17	10-5	Ind	John Bender
1915-16	12-0	Ind	Zora Clevenger
1914-15	9-2	Ind	Zora Clevenger
1913-14	15-2	Ind	Zora Clevenger
1912-13	9-5	Ind	Zora Clevenger
1911-12	5-5	Ind	Zora Clevenger
1910-11	7-9	Ind	Alex Stone
1909-10	7-8	Ind
1908-09	2-5	Ind

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Tennessee Volunteers basketball — program history

The name

Signature moment

Season-by-season results

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All-time wins

On this day

AP Top 25

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