Chris Ogden, Riley Davis will join Tennessee's hoops staff

Former University of Texas head basketball coach Rick Barnes addresses reporters after being named head coach at the University of Tennessee on March 31, 2015, in Knoxville.
Former University of Texas head basketball coach Rick Barnes addresses reporters after being named head coach at the University of Tennessee on March 31, 2015, in Knoxville.

KNOXVILLE -- Chris Ogden and Riley Davis will be part of Rick Barnes's first coaching staff at Tennessee, but the Volunteers' new basketball coach continues to sort through his options.

Barnes confirmed Ogden, who was an assistant coach with him at Texas since 2008, and Davis, his special assistant/video coordinator with the Longhorns, will join him in Knoxville.

Al Pinkins and Chris Shumate, who were assistants on Donnie Tyndall's staff with the Vols, remain in contention for spots on Barnes's staff. Five other members of Tyndall's staff were told Wednesday they won't be retained.

"I'm not sure how we're going to piece it all together yet," Barnes told the Times Free Press Friday morning. "I'm still just waiting on a couple of things we have to do. I'm hopeful we'll have that pretty much in place before we can get out recruiting."

The 34-year-old Ogden played for Barnes at Texas (2000-03) and was a captain on the 2003 Final Four team. He joined Barnes's staff as a student assistant at the end of his playing career. He worked in an administrative role from 2004 to 2008 before moving to a full-time on-bench assistant's role.

Davis was in his second stint at Texas with Barnes. Between his roles as a student assistant (2009-11) and graduate assistant (2012), he was an assistant coach at Sam Houston State before becoming a scout for the Charlotte Bobcats last season. He was hired back to Texas's staff last summer.

Pinkins, who was Tennessee's interim coach after Tyndall was fired a week ago, and Shumate both met with Barnes on Thursday about remaining at Tennessee.

"My thoughts are that I'm going to have my guys, but I was very, very impressed with both of them," Barnes said. "People around here spoke very highly of them.

"When you're making a move like this ... I will do the right thing for the chemistry of our staff. As a head coach you always have people in mind. Somebody can move at any time."

Rob Lanier was Barnes's top assistant at Texas, but he may remain with the Longhorns. Between stints with Barnes, Lanier was the head coach at Siena and had assistant roles at Virginia and Florida. He and Shaka Smart, reportedly Texas's new coach, worked together under Billy Donovan in Gainesville.

Barnes and his staff planned to remain in Knoxville instead of going to the Final Four, where the annual convention for college coaches is being held, this weekend.

"The biggest thing (with) the guys I'm waiting on, to be just totally honest, is they've got kids they've got to handle in the right way," Barnes said. "People don't realize when things happen and you make these moves, it's about families. It's not just coaches. Everyone thinks that part, but I have so much respect for those guys.

"They have to make the right decision for their families. I told them that. I want them to be here."

Tariq's transfer

Barnes met with Tennessee's returning players individually on Thursday, and at this point only one has told Tennessee's new coach they want to transfer.

That's freshman forward Tariq Owens, the a five-game starter who averaged 1.2 points and 1.1 rebounds in 7.6 minutes per game and flashed some upside as a freshman this season.

Owens's father, Renard, told the Knoxville News Sentinel on Thursday Tariq would ask for his release.

"He walked in that meeting feeling uncertainty, and had the same uncertainty coming out," Renard said of his son. "My concern is him getting recruited over and not being a part of the plan going forward.

"And the reason that I have that feeling is because Coach Barnes, with all due respect, didn't recruit Tariq. The coaches who did recruit Tariq who are there, we don't even know if they are going to be retained. There may not be anybody on the staff that has a relationship with Tariq or any of the boys."

Barnes confirmed Owens's decision to transfer.

"With his situation, we're working through it with his family," he said. "We're going to do what's right (with) what they want to do. But there's nothing official with it."

Tennessee's new coach said he would grant releases for players who want to transfer. During the transition from Cuonzo Martin to Donnie Tyndall, four signees chose to go elsewhere and two players transferred. Such turnover is part of coaching changes.

"My biggest thing," Barnes said, "is I think you've got to have, not only the players (but) the people you recruit, they've got to come in and they've got to put both feet in.

"You can't be a cohesive team," he added, "if everybody's not both feet in."

Signees speak

Barnes spoke earlier this week with the two signees, Tucker (Ga.) guard Shembari Phillips and Zion (Ill.) forward Admiral Schofield, and indicated their initials reviews were positive.

"Both of them really impressed me," Barnes said. "I did that right after I did the press conference (on Tuesday). Later that night I was able to get in touch with them, and I'm really excited about those guys. They got me fired up. They love Tennessee, so I'm looking forward to that."

At this point neither Phillips nor Schofield have sought a release from their letters of intent with the Vols.

Contact Patrick Brown at pbrown@timesfreepress.com.

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