In terms of name recognition, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga lost a ton after the 2016-17 men's basketball season.
Five seniors, the team's five leading scorers, no longer are with the program. In addition, head coach Matt McCall left to take the coaching job at Massachusetts.
David Blackburn, Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics for The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, stands in McKenzie Arena where his office is located. 
Yet everything seemingly feels OK around the program.
Former Wisconsin assistant Lamont Paris agreed to terms to replace McCall late Saturday night, after being one of "seven or eight" interviews conducted by UTC athletic director David Blackburn and the athletic department over a three-day span. Considering not only Blackburn's track record hiring coaches, but Paris's reputation as an outstanding recruiter and player developer, the presumption is that another step was taken in the right direction.
From a poll conducted by the Times Free Press, 88 percent of the people like the hiring of Paris, an Ohio native who was instrumental in the development of players such as Charlotte Hornets forward Frank Kaminsky and Wisconsin senior Nigel Hayes, a presumed NBA draft pick in June.
Blackburn fumbled slightly Sunday night when asked if he felt Paris was the best guy for the job, but only because he didn't want to come across as arrogant. He knows.
"I think so," Blackburn said, full of caffeine from little sleep over the past three days. "I would go as far as to say I know so, but that's not factual because I don't know every coach in America, so how can I say he's the best? I think he's one of the best, only because I don't know all of them.
"He will get better over time through adversity over time. I do think he's a good fit and my reputation and job are on the line with these people, and it should be."
Paris, 43, should get better as he gets acclimated to the roster as well. The Mocs have one projected spot available for next season, with the most glaring need seeming to be in the frontcourt, where 6-foot-11 Makinde London, 6-7 Trayvond Massenburg and 6-7 incoming freshman Demarcus Mitchell are the only scholarship players expected.
Chuck Ester could return as well, but it's not so clear cut. Ester redshirted his first season at East Mississippi Junior College, then played one year before transferring to UTC prior to the 2014-15 season. He's played two seasons and sat out last year with a torn ACL suffered in the preseason, so he would need a medical exemption to get a sixth year from the NCAA.
The previous coaches felt confident they would get one, and his return would be crucial. He was considered the best, most indispensable player on the team going into last season, and his absence reared its ugly head as the team struggled at times defensively and finding easy, open shots.
If Paris can get Ester back and continue the development of the uber-talented London, next season could be much better than most expect.
"(Paris) thinks, and I think, that we are sitting on a gold mine," Blackburn said. "It's been here before. We're a very popular school right now for coaches, and that's a great thing as we continue to do right and treat people good. Hopefully we can elevate what we do and help our city.
"I think we have a chance to be really, really good, and a lot of that is thanks to previous players and Will (Wade) and Matt. It's a moment in time that has been created through ups and downs, but it's still a very popular brand."
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @genehenleytfp.