KNOXVILLE — President Barack Obama may have been in Knoxville on Friday afternoon, but perhaps the most determined campaigning took place in a University of Tennessee cafeteria.
That’s where Donnie Tyndall, the first-year coach of the basketball Volunteers, was interacting with students and snapping pictures with them in hopes they would come to Thompson-Boling Arena for today’s game against Alabama.
Tennessee is hoping for its biggest turnout of the season to help its young team improve to 8-0 at home.
“I think it’s great,” freshman forward Tariq Owens said. “I really like Coach Tyndall and what he does to help the team out. I really like that he goes out and tries to get more support for the team.”
On his Twitter account after Tennessee’s SEC-opening win at Mississippi State on Wednesday night, Tyndall posted a message pleading for 20,000 fans to come to the game against the Crimson Tide.