UT's Martin Considering Bradshaw As Asst.

Cuonzo Martin meets with Dane Bradsha


By Mike Griffith


govolsxtra.com
Posted March 29, 2011 at 5:59 p.m., updated March 30, 2011 at 11:53 a.m.



Photo by Amy Smotherman Burgess
UT senior Dane Bradshaw is congratulated by students after the 86-76 win over Florida at Thompson Boling Arena in 2007.

Cuonzo Martin met with former Vols great Dane Bradshaw on Tuesday at Gibbs Hall, according to sources with knowledge of the meeting.

Other UT athletic department officials were present at the lunch meeting, according to the sources, who requested anonymity because the nature of the meeting was private.

Mike Hamilton said at Monday’s press conference to announce Martin as coach in the Ray Mears Room at Thompson-Boling Arena that Martin would attend the Final Four in Houston this weekend as he looks to fill out his coaching staff.

“He needs to hire the best people for his staff to be successful,’’ Hamilton said. “I think there’s a possibility with guys with (UT) connections, I think he knows that means something.

“The bottom line is he has to get guys with him that he trusts and values his opinions. That’s really up to him who he hires.’’

Bradshaw, who played for the Vols from 2003-07 and was named to UT’s 20-member All-Century team in 2009, has talked to UT officials about his interest in coaching.

“I love Tennessee basketball, and I care about Tennessee basketball, and I want to see the program continue in the direction Coach (Bruce) Pearl started it in,’’ Bradshaw, 26, said last Thursday. “If the right opportunity comes up at Tennessee, I would be interested in it.’’

Bradshaw, who won Gatorade Player of the Year at White Station High School in Memphis in 2003 and led his team to three state championships, has no practical coaching experience.

Bradshaw said he has been selected as a team captain on every team he has played on, most recently at UT and in Holland, where he played one season professionally before returning to the U.S. He currently heads up the marketing for John Thornton’s Thunder Enterprises land development company.

As a player with the Vols, Bradshaw commonly served as a host for top recruits when they visited Tennessee, including Tyler Smith and Jamont Gordon, both of whom gave verbal commitments to the Vols.

On Feb. 27, 2007, Pearl thought so much of Bradshaw’s leadership abilities and character that he announced he was giving a $100,000 donation to endow a scholarship in Bradshaw’s name.

Martin has not announced any of his assistants at Tennessee to this point.

“I have guys in place, it’s just a matter of us honing in on some other guys,’’ Martin said on Monday. “We have some pieces in mind, but I don’t want to give you any names right now.’’

Martin’s three assistants at Missouri State were Jon Harris, Steve Woodberry and Kent Williams.

All three have expressed interest in becoming the Bears’ new head coach, according to published reports, since Martin left the program.

Harris coached with Martin the past three years at Missouri State after a five-year stint as an assistant coach at Wisconsin-Green Bay. Harris also coached a year at Marquette, where he played and served as a team captain.

Harris, who graduated high school in 1998, attended Martin’s press conference on Monday in Knoxville, at Martin’s request.

Steve Woodberry is an assistant who has been on staff at Missouri State for five seasons. Woodberry played his college basketball at Kansas under current North Carolina coach Roy Williams. While at Kansas, Woodberry played in two Final Fours. A native of Wichita, Kan, Woodberry won two state high school titles and graduated in 1990.

Kent Williams has been on Martin’s staff for three years. A former Southern Illinois standout who led the team in scoring four straight years and finished the school’s second all-time leading scorer, Williams is originally from Mt. Vernon, Ill.

Williams, who graduated high school in 1999, played at Southern Illinois under current Illinois coach Bruce Weber — a prominent member of Gene Keady’s Purdue coaching tree — and current Boilermakers coach Matt Painter also was on the SIU staff.