Former Tennessee basketball assistant and new East Tennessee State University coach Steve Forbes won’t be the only familiar face on the Buccaneers’ bench when UT plays host to the Buccaneers next season.
Former UT basketball aides Jason Shay and Brooks Savage have joined Forbes as assistant coaches, ETSU announced on Thursday.
Shay spent six seasons (2005-11) as an assistant under former Vols’ coach Bruce Pearl. He left an assistant coaching job at North Dakota to rejoin Forbes. Before that, he coached under Forbes as an assistant at Northwest Florida State College from 2011-2013.
Savage worked as a student and graduate assistant for the Vols while he earned his bachelor’sdegree in 2008 and his master’s in 2010. He was a Chattanooga assistant last season and rejoins Forbes, whom he coached under was an assistant at Northwest Florida State College.
“Over the seven years we have worked together, Jason, Brooks and I have a combined record of 189-59, appearing in five NCAA tournaments and two NJCAA National Championships together,” Forbes, who left his job as a Wichita State assistant coach to run the Bucs, said in a school release. “These guys are flat out winners and the type of people I want to surround myself with.”
UT is in the midst of a three-game series with ETSU. The Vols hosted the Buccaneers last season in Knoxville, a 71-61 win, and again will host this upcoming season. The Vols are scheduled to play at ETSU during the 2016-17 season.