KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – University of Tennessee head men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes announced Wednesday title elevations for three members of his staff.
Lucas Campbell and Bryan Lentz have been promoted to assistant coach, while Riley Collins has been named assistant director of player development.
A Knoxville native and two-time Tennessee graduate, Campbell is entering the third year of his second stint on Barnes’ staff. This will be his ninth season associated with the Volunteer basketball program dating back to 2015-16, good for all but one in Barnes’ tenure.
“Over nearly a decade, I have seen Lucas grow from an eager walk-on freshman my first season here at Tennessee into now a rising star in the coaching profession,” Barnes said. “This school and this basketball program mean so much to Lucas. He has been a key part of our staff over the past two years and has played a major role in our strong recruiting efforts, which he will continue to do while taking on additional responsibilities he is assuredly ready for.”
The Christian Academy of Knoxville graduate competed for the Volunteers as a walk-on from 2015-19, Barnes’ first four years at the helm, aiding the team to an SEC regular season crown in 2018 and a Sweet 16 berth in 2019. He then served as a graduate assistant from 2019-21 before departing to East Tennessee State University, where he worked as the director of basketball operations in 2021-22.
Campbell returned to his alma mater in June 2022 as the director of recruiting. For the past two years, he has coordinated all aspects of Tennessee’s recruiting efforts, ranging from logistical elements of on-campus visits to coach travel and beyond.
During his eight seasons with Tennessee, Campbell has been a part of two SEC regular season titles, five NCAA Tournament appearances, three Sweet 16 berths, an Elite Eight trip and four AP top-20 finishes. The Volunteers own a 175-93 (.653) record during that time.
Lentz is entering his seventh season at Tennessee, the second school at which he has worked under Barnes. He served as the Volunteers’ director of player development for six years, dating back to his arrival on Rocky Top in May 2018.
“Bryan has a strong basketball mind and possesses nearly a quarter-century of coaching experience,” Barnes said. “His passion for assisting the young men in our program become the absolute best they can be, both on and off the court, is unrivaled. We have shared a great deal of success together, both during his first six seasons at Tennessee and previously at Texas, and I know he will help our program continue its upward trajectory in his new role.”
Like Barnes, Lentz is a native of Hickory, N.C., and a graduate of Lenoir-Rhyne University, where he was an all-conference honoree. He got his start in coaching at his alma mater, working under his father, John, the Bears’ head coach. Lentz was an assistant coach from 2001-08 and then an associate head coach from 2008-10.
From 2010-14, Lentz worked for Barnes at the University of Texas. He was the special assistant/video coordinator for the Longhorns for four years, helping the team go 88-51 (.633) with three NCAA Tournament appearances and one AP top-10 finish.
Lentz departed Texas for Appalachian State University in 2014 and worked as an assistant coach for the Mountaineers for four seasons. Since his reunion with Barnes at Tennessee in 2018, the Volunteers are 145-57 (.718) with five NCAA Tournament bids, three Sweet 16 trips, one Elite Eight appearance, four AP top-20 finishes, an SEC regular season championship and an SEC Tournament trophy.
Collins is headed into his third season at Tennessee after working as a graduate assistant in both 2022-23 and 2023-24. The Volunteers won 25-plus games and reached the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament during each of his first two campaigns, including winning the SEC regular season title and making the Elite Eight this past season.
“From the first day he arrived at Tennessee, Riley has made his presence felt within our facility,” Barnes said. “He is a tireless worker who gives this program everything he can each day. After seeing all the ways Riley aided our program the past two years, it was clear he deserved a full-time position and I am thrilled he accepted that opportunity.”
A native of Lacey, N.J., Collins is a graduate of Drew University, where he set a school record with 1,973 points and earned 2020 Reese’s All-America status. He was a four-time First Team All-Landmark Conference designee and a three-time team captain.
From 2019-22, Collins was the head coach for the New Jersey Panthers, an AAU team he led to a league title in 2020. He worked as a graduate assistant at Marymount University from 2020-22 and also has experience assisting NBA players with skill development workouts.
Entering the 2024-25 campaign, the entire full-time Tennessee men’s basketball staff remains intact. This is the second straight offseason no such individual has elected to depart Rocky Top.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
