Barnes: 'Z is a blessing God gave to me. I don't know if I'd still be doing this'

#51
#51
Orangeslide said:
Don’t think Barnes is going anywhere anytime soon……….seems to be in good health and loves the competition to win………. His staff will help deal with the portal and NIL……….
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Not so fast. I think the issue with Carr sent a signal. Kids are going to be harder to deal with with the ability to bolt at any point in time. I think guys who coach kids hard like Barnes and Saban will find this new landscape most distasteful. Wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Barnes goes out with ZZ. He knows how hard it's going to be to rebuild and replace a beloved figure like ZZ. Might not happen, but I'd bet the farm the thought will cross his mind more than once.
 
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#52
#52
Orangeslide said:
Don’t think Barnes is going anywhere anytime soon……….seems to be in good health and loves the competition to win………. His staff will help deal with the portal and NIL……….
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I think he’s close to walking. How this year’s NCAAT (and the full season) plays out, who is or isn’t added for 2025-26, and possible legislation giving ZZ, Mashack, and Igor an additional year will drive his decision.
 
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#53
#53
We’ve had a lot of sudden coaching changes. Dickey. Mears. Majors. Fulmer. Kiffin. KO. Pearl. Maybe Cuonzo. Tyndall. Even Summitt was sudden although Holly was the shadow coach for Pat for her last couple of years. Nothing will shock me after all of those changes. Stan Huntsman bolting for Texas was another BVS moment.
 
#55
#55
CAVPUT said:
Not so fast. I think the issue with Carr sent a signal. Kids are going to be harder to deal with with the ability to bolt at any point in time. I think guys who coach kids hard like Barnes and Saban will find this new landscape most distasteful. Wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Barnes goes out with ZZ. He knows how hard it's going to be to rebuild and replace a beloved figure like ZZ. Might not happen, but I'd bet the farm the thought will cross his mind more than once.
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Guys have always been able to transfer, even at mid season at a semester break
 
#62
#62
Orangeslide said:
Don’t think Barnes is going anywhere anytime soon……….seems to be in good health and loves the competition to win………. His staff will help deal with the portal and NIL……….
Click to expand...

Eh, I think he's close. A number of reporters around the UT program have said, especially in this past year, that they think Barnes is close too. I recall one saying on a Sports Animal interview that they thought it wouldn't be too dissimilar from the Tony Bennett retirement. Here one day, gone the next. Not out of any sense of malice, mind you. Just, once you're done and you know, you're done -- and you know.

Now we've got him saying he doesn't know if he'd still be coaching were it not for ZZ ... the writing is on the wall on this one.
 
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#64
#64
Clad in Big Orange said:
Yes, that quote makes me think Barnes may be close to hanging up the whistle. We've been blessed to have him this long. Hope DW has a good list ready.
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DW needs to call Oates and Pearl with the first 2 calls. He and Oates are good friends, and you can tell that Bruce still loves Knoxville. Also, isn’t Bruce wife from Knoxville? Who knows, she may want to come back home.
 
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#69
#69
JCP201 said:

Rick Barnes: 'I Don’t Know If I’d Still Be Doing It' Without Zakai Zeigler | Rocky Top Insider

Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes says he doesn't know if he would still be coaching without Zakai Zeigler.
www.rockytopinsider.com www.rockytopinsider.com

Maybe this has already been discussed, I haven't seen it though. Hopefully Z will make it in the NBA but he's not tall compared to most NBA professionals. Could he come and help Barnes coach? Is there a possibility that Barnes retires next year?
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I was wondering just this thing today @ retirement. His last recruiting class had no SEC level HS players. Hard to trust them to stay 3-4 years now, when you can get proben players in the portal. It's as if he's taking his shot NOW w xfer portal for a title. Just a thought.
 
#70
#70
BreatheUT said:
With the way this transfer portal and NIL has changed the game, I don't see Barnes staying around too much longer dealing with this.

I think he would retire with a deep tournament run.
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Maybe. But Barnes has taken the smart road on all this. Simply embrace whatever happens and use it to your best advantage. Maybe he no longer like the situation. But weve never heard a peep from him if so.
 
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#73
#73
I would have loved Jay Wright, in times gone bye. But at 63, and 2 years into retirement...that's a pipe dream!
No to Pearl, that's water under the bridge.

In DW, we are putting our trust.

I think that you guys are infected with BVS. There is no evidence that RB will not be here for 3 more years.
I'm not indicating when he will to hang up his whistle. It could be ...this is his last season. Or next season.

I'll be hoping he is up for 2 or 3 more seasons.
But when he calls it done. One of my favorite coaches will get my heart felt well wishes that his time with kids and grand children will bring him great memories and unfathomable joy.
I will remember him fondly and I will also be happy for him and his wife.
 
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#74
#74
Man, this is heart-warming. Love that Barnes is still so passionate about this profession while his peers fall by the wayside year after year. We could all be so lucky to be contributing so much and all while continuing to be schooled by the new at the ripe old age of 70. Speaks to the character of the guys he has brought in and the culture they have established.

We are blessed to have him and it will be a sad day when he finally hangs it up.
 
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#75
#75
VolMarine1371 said:
DW needs to call Oates and Pearl with the first 2 calls. He and Oates are good friends, and you can tell that Bruce still loves Knoxville. Also, isn’t Bruce wife from Knoxville? Who knows, she may want to come back home.
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First, Auburn picked Pearl up after the show cause and he’s the sort to be grateful for that kind of thing. Second, Tennessee hung Pearl out to dry during the hot dog debacle - rightly or wrongly, depending on who you talk to. Now, I realize he lied directly to UT’s administration, so I’m not saying they should have done anything differently. Just, they dropped him.

And third, before last year’d Auburn game, Steven Pearl was on some radio interview talking about how the Tennessee game was personal for them both and they both really wanted to beat the Vols.

He’s never coming back. It’s over and done.
 
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