Tennessee fired head coach Donnie Tyndall after just one season on Friday, amid an NCAA probe into impropriety during his tenure at Southern Miss. The firing of Tyndall means the Volunteers will be seeking their fourth coach in the last six seasons.
Departed: Tyndall. Tyndall was not jettisoned because he can't coach, though he went just 16-16 in his lone campaign in Knoxville, and 7-11 in SEC play. The Vols, who lost the core of a Sweet 16 team in 2014, were 4-11 over their final 15 games.
Program situation: It seems like an eternity ago that Bruce Pearl had this program truly relevant. Sure, Cuonzo Martin surprisingly took them to the Sweet 16 a year ago, but let's remember: Pearl had this program in the NCAA tournament all six of his seasons, and the Vols advanced to the Sweet 16 three times in his tenure. The issue right now is that there's not much talent in the cupboard (and that's being kind).
Realistic candidates
Michael White, Louisiana Tech: He turned it down last season, but things have changed. White had his top three players coming back the last time. Now, Speedy Smith and Raheem Appleby are graduating.