Rick Barnes Remains at Tennessee: Long-Term Impact
Photo by Tennessee Athletics
Rick Barnes is staying in Knoxville after all. A chaotic 24-hour period for Vol fans ended on Monday night as Chris Low of ESPN first reported that the 2019 Naismith Men's Coach of the Year opted not to take the head coach position at UCLA. Low tweeted: “Sources tell me that Rick Barnes has decided to remain as Tennessee’s head coach after UCLA came after him with a lucrative offer that would have paid him $5 million per year. Barnes finalized his decision to stay at Tennessee on Monday after the Vols countered with a new deal.”
The story broke on Sunday night at 7:39 p.m. ET, when Evan Daniels of 247Sports reported that Coach Barnes had “emerged as a serious candidate in UCLA's head coaching search.” The 64-year-old Barnes just signed a contract extension through the 2023-24 season, back on September 6, 2018, so many questioned his reasoning for potentially departing from Tennessee after a historic season. He put all those doubts to rest by accepting Tennessee’s “generous” 5-year counter offer.
Late Monday evening, it was reported that Barnes’ $5 million buyout would be an issue for UCLA. In the end, it didn’t turn out to be all about Barnes’ personal contract situation. Low reported that Coach Barnes “was heartened by the way Phillip Fulmer and Randy Boyd stepped up with a deal comparable to what UCLA was offering, and equally important to Barnes, with more money and security for his staff.”
When Barnes was initially hired by UT, the basketball program was struggling mightily. In 4 years, he has gone 88-50, including a 57-15 mark over the past 2 seasons. That win percentage of .792 ranks fifth among all Power 5 schools in that time span. Coach Barnes has revived a program from a 15-19 record in his first season, to spending 4 weeks as the No. 1 team in the nation this year. He led the Vols to a perfect 18-0 home record in Thompson-Boling Arena this season, as Vol fans recorded a top-5 national attendance average of 19,034.
Tennessee Athletic Director, Phillip Fulmer released the following statement after Rick Barnes agreed to a 5-year, $4.7 million deal on Monday night:
"The last few days have been interesting to say the least. One of the nation's most tradition-rich college basketball programs identified what we here at Tennessee already knew—that Rick Barnes is one the game's elite coaches and a program-changer. His incredible work here at Tennessee over the past four years illustrates that. Additionally, the impact that he and his wife, Candy, have made throughout this community has been immensely inspiring as well. The University of Tennessee and East Tennessee as a whole have developed an enhanced love and appreciation for our men's basketball program and its culture under Rick's leadership, and I'm thrilled that he will remain a part of our Tennessee Athletics family. I'm grateful to Rick and Candy, and I'm also grateful to our university leadership, which stepped up to show Rick how much he is valued and appreciated. Our commitment to basketball has never been stronger, and we're all excited for the future as we move forward."
Rick Barnes is cherished by Vol fans. He received free food for life offers from multiple Knoxville restaurants on Monday, which shows how passionate this fanbase is about the man who brought Tennessee basketball back to life. With his return, the Vols are in great shape to have future success. Josiah James, Davonte Gaines and Knoxville native, Drew Pember highlight this year’s recruiting class. James, especially, has a chance to make an immediate impact.
Meanwhile, Grant Williams held a press conference on Tuesday. He began by stating, “I have decided that I will test the waters and enter the NBA Draft process, but I will not forego my last season at the University of Tennessee… This process helps me gather information as a player and to find out what I need to do to improve.” Grant is taking the same approach that Admiral Schofield took last year, but it sounds like Grant fully intends to return to Tennessee for his senior year. If he does decide to continue his collegiate career, Tennessee would be in a good spot, despite losing Admiral, Kyle Alexander and potentially Jordan Bone.
Tennessee has tasted success during their glorious run this season, but they certainly want more. If Grant returns, which seems likely at this point, that would be a huge boost for the team. One thing that’s certain, though, is that Tennessee wants Rick Barnes for the long haul. They fought to keep him and they won. Whether he ends up retiring at Tennessee or not, he has one main goal. That’s to bring a national title to Knoxville. He didn’t get it done this year, but he knows the opportunity has not passed him up. Vol Nation has his back and he is one of the most beloved coaches the program has ever had.
Tennessee is fortunate to keep Barnes, because he brings stability and sustained success. If another coaching search had been started today, it would have been quite exhausting. Coach Barnes has gained the trust of Tennessee’s administration, players, and fans. He’s still here. Let’s ride.
