Tennessee Trio Earns TSWA Yearly Awards

The Tennessee Sports Writers Association announced its athletes and coaches of the year today, with three of Tennessee's own headlining the honorees.

Tennessee football quarterback Hendon Hooker was voted College Football Player of the Year following his dominant debut season as a Vol, while Kellie Harper and Rick Barnes swept the college basketball coaching awards, being named the women's and men's Coach of the Year, respectively.

Hooker became Tennessee's first Davey O'Brien Award semifinalist since 2006 after leading the Vols to a 7-6 record and a Music City Bowl berth. The Greensboro, North Carolina, native broke single-season school records for completion percentage (68.0) and passing efficiency (181.41). Ranking No. 1 in the SEC and No. 3 nationally in passing efficiency, he accounted for 3,561 yards of total offense and 36 touchdowns.

Of the 72 FBS quarterbacks who attempted 300 or more passes last season, Hooker tied for the fewest interceptions, with only three. He finished the season 206-of-303 passing for 2,945 yards and 31 touchdowns and added 616 yards on 166 carries with five scores on the ground.

In the single-season UT records book, Hooker finished the year third all-time in touchdown passes, third in QB rushing yards, 10th in passing yards, fourth in total offense, and third in consecutive games with a TD pass. He led the nation in 70+ yard touchdown passes (4) and ranked third in the SEC in passing touchdowns and second in yards per attempt.

Hooker garnered SEC Offensive Player of the Week acclaim on Nov. 6, was a two-time Manning Star of the Week and also garnered fourth-team All-SEC honors from Phil Steele.

Harper's Coach of the Year award speaks to her impressive management of a roster that lost multiple starters and key contributors to injury during the 2021-22 campaign. Despite those challenges, Harper managed to guide the Lady Vols to their most overall (25) and SEC (11) wins since 2017-18 as well as their highest national ranking and first NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearance since 2015-16.

Harper made the Werner Ladder Naismith Coach of the Year Late-Season Watch List and was named ESPN Coach of the Week on Jan. 10. She directed her squad to an 18-1 start, UT's best since 2007-08.

The Lady Vols rose as high as No. 4 in the AP Poll, defeating five ranked teams and winning the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout. Tennessee earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, defeating Buffalo and Belmont in the NCAA first and second rounds before succumbing to eventual Final Four participant Louisville in the Sweet Sixteen after trailing by two in the fourth quarter. The Lady Vols ended up 25-9, matching Harper's career-high for victories and marking her second Sweet Sixteen appearance as a head coach.

In its seventh season under Barnes, the Tennessee men's basketball team compiled a 27-8 record, defeated four top-10 opponents and spent the entire campaign ranked in the AP Top 25—ascending to a high of No. 5 in the postseason poll. Barnes guided the Volunteers to their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance as well as the program's first SEC Tournament championship in 43 years.

For the second time during the Barnes era, Tennessee never lost back-to-back games all season. The Vols finished second in the SEC standings with a 14-4 mark in league play. Defensively, Tennessee boasted the nation's third-best defensive efficiency and finished ninth among Division I teams in steals per game (9.3 spg).

After guiding his team to the NCAA Tournament for the 26th time in his career, Barnes is set to enter the 2022-23 season with the sixth-most Division I wins among active head coaches (754).

The Tennessee Sports Writers Association is comprised of writers, editors and college sports information directors from throughout the state.

University of Tennessee Athletics

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