Is Barnes the Best coach in UT history

Is Barnes the best coach in UT history(assuming elite 8)

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    281
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#53
#53
Pearl made us believe; Barnes has continued it.

I'd still give the nod to Pearl for the transformation effort including the fan base and facilities. Barnes was a great hire and the Schofield/Williams team was an all-time favorite.

We have been blessed compared to almost all other SEC teams
 
#55
#55
Game plan against Duke was well planned and executed. As Oliver said in postgame presser, “we brought them into the mud with us.”

I thought TN’s inbound defense against Duke was on par with the inbound offense we had during the Pearl era. Outstanding.

Barnes is one win away from me keeping mymouth shut ona lengthy absence from the EE.
 
#58
#58
VolGee4 said:
Barnes is the best recruiter in our history. I’m a “Barnes supporter,” but the last few teams have high level talent. He had to build the program with 3 stars, which he did quite well.
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Ray Mears had some guys who could play a little. Think they might have their numbers hanging around somewhere. Much harder to make the NCAAT back then, too. Hard to compare across generations but I'll still default to Mears as our greatest coach.
 
#59
#59
Barnes and to me it isn’t even close. Barnes has had two different teams ranked number 1 in the country during the season. I don’t remember pearl doing that. The conference championships, sweet 16’s and now beating Duke.
 
#60
#60
VOLtaism said:
He has done more with less than any other coach. The league is much tougher now than 10 years ago. Makes it an apples and oranges comparison with previous coaches.
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I love Barnes for what he has done at TN, however, Ray Mears will always be my pick as favorite Bb coach and here is why. He didn’t get the top players but coached them up, he would have made the NCAA every year of his tenure after the first under the current setup. As we saw yesterday, Mears with his coaching ability would have been a tough out. He admitted the Ernie and Bernie team that should have been a FF team was his worst coaching job because he didn’t coach as hard due to those guys being so good. He said a good coaching job would not have allowed both his guys to foul out against Syracuse. He made Bb so popular the AD was afraid he would outshine the football team. I believe he would have won a NC had his health not caused his demise. The guy knew Bb. He actually gave me some plays and a defense that won some games for me.
 
#62
#62
You guys putting Mears at the top are hilarious. Ray won exactly zero NCAA tourney games - yes even wit Grunfeld and King. I know Bernard missed one. Losing to VMI? ETSU won a tournament game in 1968 and Tennessee was one of the last schools in- state to win a game. Barnes and Pearl then DeVoe and Mears. Ray was a fine coach for his era and the SEC at that time - but he was very fortunate to work at Tennessee with his fragile and unique mental health issues.
 
#63
#63
knox73 said:
You guys putting Mears at the top are hilarious. Ray won exactly zero NCAA tourney games - yes even wit Grunfeld and King. I know Bernard missed one. Losing to VMI? ETSU won a tournament game in 1968 and Tennessee was one of the last schools in- state to win a game. Barnes and Pearl then DeVoe and Mears. Ray was a fine coach for his era and the SEC at that time - but he was very fortunate to work at Tennessee with his fragile and unique mental health issues.
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Dumb post is dumb.

Very few coaches won NCAAT games in the 1960s and 1970s. There were only about 16 or 24 games each year instead of 67. Teams weren’t seeded either.

ETSU didn’t have to beat out KY for the one conference bid.
 
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#64
#64
Ray Meats was the best coach we have ever had. I just wish he had been able to coach about ten more years rather than having to retire because of his illness. I think Barnes is an outstanding coach and he has made Tennessee basketball reverent again. We are indeed fortunate to have him as our coach.
 
#65
#65
Unfair to compare mears and Barnes. Different era different game for much of the time Mears coached.
 
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#66
#66
calban said:
Unfair to compare mears and Barnes. Different era different game for much of the time Mears coached.
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Mears even had to face a team that tried to stall the ENTIRE game. 12/15/1973: TN 11, Temple 6. And Bernard wasn’t even on campus until the following year.
 
#67
#67
The Mount Rushmore of TN Basketball:

John Mauer
Ray Mears
Bruce Pearl
Rick Barnes

Hard to debate that unless Mauer is excluded because the game was soooooo different. Then there’s an argument about putting Devoe or Green in the 4th spot. Surprisingly, Cuonzo might be #7 (or #6 without Mauer).
 
#68
#68
JoeMiltonsAgent said:
I dunno...Kevin O'Neill and Counzo Martin were pretty doggone good.
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Kevin O'Neil really isn't as bad as most think. Granted, it was boring basketball and it wasn't the style that would bring in top recruits, but defensively, I think he had a sound philosophy. JMO, however. I'm not saying I want KO back in Knoxville over Barnes. I'm just saying that he catches far more flak than necessary.
 
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#69
#69
I think its unquestionably Barnes as of this moment. I think the thing that most impresses me about him is the sense of camaraderie in his program which is 100% credited to him. Secondly the development which is about him picking the right guys, both coaches and players. Then he puts those guys in the right position. Like i mentioned before I enjoy his teams. I have followed UT mens and women's basketball since the 90's. I started actually watching full games regularly once Barnes got here. I watch every game now when in the past id watch 2-3 full games a season and follow the rest via highlights and box scores.
 
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#70
#70
Rasputin_Vol said:
Kevin O'Neil really isn't as bad as most think. Granted, it was boring basketball and it wasn't the style that would bring in top recruits, but defensively, I think he had a sound philosophy. JMO, however. I'm not saying I want KO back in Knoxville over Barnes. I'm just saying that he catches far more flak than necessary.
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It was during the KO era that I first heard the phrase “TN can’t throw the basketball into Fort Loudon Lake”.
 
#71
#71
knox73 said:
You guys putting Mears at the top are hilarious. Ray won exactly zero NCAA tourney games - yes even wit Grunfeld and King. I know Bernard missed one. Losing to VMI? ETSU won a tournament game in 1968 and Tennessee was one of the last schools in- state to win a game. Barnes and Pearl then DeVoe and Mears. Ray was a fine coach for his era and the SEC at that time - but he was very fortunate to work at Tennessee with his fragile and unique mental health issues.
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48 teams vs 64 teams isn't apples to apples, but the 76 Vols lost to VMI in the first round and to Syracuse in the 1st round in 77. I get it. Mears is responsible for alot of traditions and game day atmosphere that we all enjoy today, but I don't think he was the sideline coach that Barnes and Pearl are. I loved DeVoe when he was here. His defense and clock management were top notch. The 3 point line and the shot clock did him in. He couldn't survive in the modern game, where I think Mears could have. Michael Brooks scored 34 against Kentucky in the mid 80's and most of those would have been 3 pointers today. I wonder if anybody ever went back to see how many points Brooks could have scored in his career with a 3 point line.
 
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#72
#72
mscc1998 said:
Maybe Barkley and his cast of clowns on CBS are eating crow now I saw his bracket last night having Duke beating us and going at least to the elite eight if not further.
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My thoughts exactly. I saw "Barkley's brackets" Thursday night and he had Duke advancing all the way to the final 4. Updated brackets yesterday, multiple X's over Duke. I'm loving this!
 
#73
#73
Tennessee doesn't have the rich tournament history (resume) the Duke, North Carolina and Kentucky (all who have been eliminated this year) all have. The landscape has definitely changed. I guess those teams are in a elite club that keeps getting invited back every year. They must not like new members, the Tennessee's . It's up to us to continue to climb the mountain to new heights and prove the whole media wrong. There is room for new members anytime we win.
 
#74
#74
Pearl made us see what this program is capable of being. I'll always be thankful for what he did here. And when Barnes retires, I'd love to have him back.

As of now, it's Pearl. But with a win Thursday, it's Barnes.
 
#75
#75
ksgovols said:
I think Rick Barnes is underrated as a teacher of the game. He's fixed some guys shots and taught defense first. He develops his players.
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I don't think it would be fair to say that aspect of Barnes's coaching is underrated. He gets commendations for player development regularly by national media, and we all know how lauded he is here on VN.
 
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