Here's who ranks top four for the Tennessee Volunteers
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – With 135 years of history, the Tennessee Volunteers athletic program is one of the nation’s most historic.
Many great athletes and coaches have sported the orange and white, brought championships to East Tennessee, and embodied what it means to be a Volunteer.
Four in particular, however, stand out above the rest.
Bernard King
Undoubtedly the greatest player to ever grace the hardwood for the Tennessee Volunteers, Bernard King was completely unguardable.
As a freshman in 1974-75, King averaged an astounding 26.4 points per game, to go along with 12.3 rebounds, and a scorching 62.2% from the field.
His incredible freshman season was recognized with SEC Player of the Year honors, an award he won in each of his three seasons in Knoxville.
After being selected seventh overall by the New Jersey Nets in the 1977 NBA draft, King was an immediate star. He averaged 24.2 points per game and 9.5 rebounds per game en route to finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting.
In 1983-84, King, who totaled 26.3 points per game, finished second in MVP voting, ultimately falling short of Boston Celtics superstar Larry Bird.
His best season, though, came the following year, when he won the NBA scoring title, finishing with a ridiculous 32.9 points per game.
After a knee injury sidelining him for the entirety of the 1991-92 season was followed by a lackluster season in 1992-93, King retired after 14 seasons.
He finished his career as one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history, ranking 16th in all-time points at the time of his retirement.
His iconic number 53 was retired by the Volunteers in 2007, and he was later inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.
General Robert Neyland
Robert Reese Neyland, the namesake of historic Neyland Stadium, is arguably the most influential figure in the University of Tennessee’s extensive history.
With nine undefeated regular seasons, and six undefeated full seasons, Neyland also holds the Volunteer record with 173 total wins.
Neyland dominated the college football landscape, at one point winning 33 consecutive games.
A defensive-minded coach, Neyland’s Volunteers shut out every regular season opponent in 1939, a feat that has not since been accomplished.
A five-time SEC champion, Neyland also coached the 1951 national champion Volunteers.
A four-time SEC Coach of the Year, Neyland was deserving of the College Football Hall of Fame induction he received in 1956.
Despite the general’s passing in 1962, his legacy continues to thrive as more than 100,000 fans pile into Neyland Stadium every weekend to cheer on their beloved Volunteers.
Peyton Manning
This selection needs no explanation.
Manning is not only the greatest Tennessee athlete of all time, but also the second greatest football player ever.
In three seasons as the starter on Rocky Top, Manning threw for over 11,000 yards, and 78 touchdowns, also bringing the Volunteers a 1997 SEC championship.
He holds the all-time Tennessee passing yards and touchdowns records, holding the single season record for both categories as well.
As a professional, Manning only continued to improve. He went on to win two Super Bowls and 200 total games.
He ranks third in NFL history with 539 passing touchdowns, and 71,940 passing yards.
His incredible 2013 MVP season with the Denver Broncos saw him pass for a single-season record 5,477 yards and 55 touchdowns.
He holds the records for the most MVP awards in NFL history, boasting five (2003, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2013).
The Volunteers retired Manning’s No. 16 in 2005, cementing a collegiate and professional legacy that will never be replicated.
Pat Summitt
Constructing a Tennessee Mount Rushmore without including Pat Summitt would be an utter disgrace.
Winning nearly 1,100 games, eight national championships, and 10 coach of the year awards, Summitt is almost single-handedly responsible for the incredible growth of women’s collegiate basketball.
She is almost unanimously viewed as the greatest women’s basketball coach of all time, having also won an Olympic gold medal in 1984 as the United States head women’s basketball coach.
She has coached numerous WNBA all stars, all of which have praised her strong leadership, incredible tactical gameplanning, and unmatched mindset.
Inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999, and later into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2000, she has rightly earned her place alongside other coaching legends.
Her astonishing 84% career winning percentage tops legends like Phil Jackson (70.4%), Mike Krzyzewski (76.6%), John Wooden (81.3%), and Roy Williams (77.4%).
Summitt not only ranks as the best women’s basketball coach of all time, but also as the greatest figure in Tennessee athletics history.
Honorable mentions:
Tony Vitello: Former Tennessee Volunteers baseball coach, 2024 National Champion
Hendon Hooker: Volunteers starting quarterback, 2021-22
Alvin Kamara: Tennessee running back, 2015-2016
Rick Barnes: Current Tennessee basketball head coach
Reggie White: Tennessee defensive end, school-record 32 sacks, NFL Hall of Fame
