KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee men's basketball is bringing the term "family atmosphere" to a new level this year with the addition of transfer guard Jordan Gainey.
Gainey's father, Justin, has been an assistant coach for the Vols since the 2021-2022 season. He said he sat back and played the supportive dad role while his son was in the transfer portal, but now that he is officially a Vol, it is nice to be around him a lot more than he has been used to.
"I would say the last three years, [Jordan] has been away for school, so I missed him and underappreciated what it felt like to see him every day," Justin Gainey said. "It's been great."
Jordan Gainey came to Tennessee after two standout seasons at USC Upstate, where he was Big South Freshman of the Year in 2021 and a two-time All-Big South selection, earning First-Team honors as a sophomore. Having his dad as a coach is something he has never gotten to experience.
"This is my first time really having him coach me for real," Jordan Gainey said. "It's been enjoyable, I'd say. We have some moments on the court where me and him are thinking the same way. It's pretty cool."
Jordan said his dad helped him navigate the transfer portal, and said Justin's best advice to him was to focus on what coaches are actually interested in him and dedicated to recruiting him.
"When that first or second day came, it was just a bunch of coaches calling, putting their name in the hat," Jordan Gainey said. "Throughout that first week, you really saw who was serious about it."
Justin Gainey said from his perspective, he was impressed with how Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes' approach when he was recruiting Jordan.
"He was unbelievable during that process and making Jordan feel like, 'We want you, not because your dad is here, but because you address a need that we have,'" Justin Gainey said. "Once coach talked to mom, that sealed the deal."