John Brice - Rick Barnes Extended, $5.9 Million

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Love Barnes and don’t mind the salary... but the “making two SEC tourney finals in a row” thing is a definite reach. I think the run as #1 is important and noteworthy, it was awesome and brought great attention to the program. Don’t think the same way about losing in the SEC finals

Does winning back-to-back semis sound better? It’s something that 12 of 14 SEC schools don’t accomplish in any one year and outside of KY very few SEC teams are in back-to-back SECT finals.

 

[therealitytheory]

We typically underpay coaches which is why we are Buyout U.

White has a different plan.

 

[Vols8086]

I think as many people that you think want to minimize the tourney record there’s just as many wanting to ignore the regular season success…I’m not campaigning we are Top 5, but you can’t ignore the overall success and just want to act like the season starts in March.

Well we don't hang banners based on the regular season.

Not to mention, with all the regular season success we have had along with the current recruiting success, you have to wonder why we seem to be the worst performing school come tourney time with respect to other programs of similar ilk.

 

[Vols8086]

Does winning back-to-back semis sound better? It’s something that 12 of 14 SEC schools don’t accomplish in any one year and outside of KY very few SEC teams are in back-to-back SECT finals.

That sounds like Butch touting his stat on 9 win programs in the SEC.

 

[Vol49er]

Does winning back-to-back semis sound better? It’s something that 12 of 14 SEC schools don’t accomplish in any one year and outside of KY very few SEC teams are in back-to-back SECT finals.

Don’t get me wrong, I’d rather lose in the finals than the semis. Just don’t want us to hang our collective hat on being consistent runner ups. We should aim higher

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Don’t get me wrong, I’d rather lose in the finals than the semis. Just don’t want us to hang our collective hat on being consistent runner ups. We should aim higher

Moving from a dumpster fire to a Final Four is going to include some regression. The Bashers exclude that the first two seasons were very much a rebuilding situation and there was an unprecedented pandemic disrupting the last two. Barnes clearly has the TN basketball program on the right track.

Many things need to fall into place to reach a Final Four. Thankfully coaching is not an issue.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

Well we don't hang banners based on the regular season.

Not to mention, with all the regular season success we have had along with the current recruiting success, you have to wonder why we seem to be the worst performing school come tourney time with respect to other programs of similar ilk.

Absolutely, and I’m not sure you’ll find many on here that haven’t said we need to do better come tourney time…but if you continue to make the dance every year and have regular season success, thus landing a higher seed, your chances of advancing increase. The point is/was, we are right in the conversation with those teams, which make up the best of the best nationally.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

That sounds like Butch touting his stat on 9 win programs in the SEC.

Butch never sniffed the SEC Championship game. The football program would be in excellent shape if it were to make it to Atlanta once instead of none of the last 13.

 

[brockytop]

John Brice is claiming Rick Barnes is getting a 5-Year extension worth $5.9 million in annual salary. Not the coaching extension news I was expecting today, and this seem rather high.....but, hey DW is at least showing his desire to not fool around with our coaches here.

All the while we wait for Barnes to extend and/or meet expectations in March.

 

[PEPPERJAX]

Go Rick Barne$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$!!!!

 

[VolPack22]

 

[vegasvolfan]

One thing I’ve not seen mentioned in this thread is that it continues to show the college basketball community that Tennessee is serious about their hoops program. You’ve got a new AD and he made a statement with this extension and raise, on the surface to fans it probably leaves them wondering why, but if it helps vault this program to Top 10-15 on a national scene then it was worth every penny.

This is simple to me. Barnes’ teams are bringing in serious revenue and they are mostly making it to the tournament. He is not going to screw around with that and he is securing that level of revenue and performance for the foreseeable future.

Now, Danny can focus on other things and not have to look over his shoulder for 6 or 7 years. Baseball and Football are things he is going to have to put a lot of time and energy in. How do we sustain what Vitello has only started building and ensure it will continue and be profitable. Neyland needs work and this coaching staff needs a ton of support. How does he sustain the level at which we are playing in other sports?

This is a smart move that will pay UT back plenty while he navigates all of that. Sorry folks, sometimes in business it’s good enough. Great can get in the way of good. Too many lost sight of that when they wanted Fulmer gone. The University and Knoxville has lost out on a lot of revenue potential since that decision. Even if he repeated his last 4 years three times over agin since the 12 years ago that we fired him, we would have had 3 SEC East Division Championships, 3 10 win seasons, 3 9 win seasons, 6 winning seasons and 6 losing seasons. If you look at his last three seasons and repeated them over 12 years that would mean 4 SEC East Division Championships, 4 10 win seasons, and 4 9 win seasons and 4 losing seasons. That means 76-20 and 4 Eastern Division titles. If he repeated what he did his last 12 years over the past 12 years we would have had much more than that including an NC. I get that is stretching it.

Regardless, sometimes things have to get worse before they get better. I’m a walking example of that. UT should be a perfect example of that, but it is unnerving to hear and read some of the same old mentality that sent Tennessee sports into a downward spiral. I am hoping it isn’t coming from those who currently make decisions. I am hoping it isn't coming from those who will be making the decisions once the torch is handed down.

Danny is not that shortsighted. We hired a smart guy who can raise money and isn’t afraid to pull out the checkbook. That’s what we all wanted. This was a good decision when you slice it for everyone that isn’t spoiled and gets it. Winning it all may not come under Barnes, but building it all can happen on his watch and succeeding an HOF coach who was taken care of at Tennessee will be a much better situation that succeeding some of the other coaches that have rolled through here and the situations they left.

This makes me very excited to see what is in store for Vitello and the BaseVols. And guess what ladies and gents, Tennessee Football is just around the corner! I don’t believe it will be pretty this season, but I look forward to coming to some games!

 

[UTK]

Pearl would’ve left us for them had they offered

Doubt it

 

[Vols8086]

Absolutely, and I’m not sure you’ll find many on here that haven’t said we need to do better come tourney time…but if you continue to make the dance every year and have regular season success, thus landing a higher seed, your chances of advancing increase. The point is/was, we are right in the conversation with those teams, which make up the best of the best nationally.

Why does continually making the dance mean our chances of advancing increase with the current staff? That I totally disagree with. Barnes has shown that he will continually get you to the dance and not advance. That pretty much sums up his entire career, so I dont know why anybody thinks that changes now for him.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

Why does continually making the dance mean our chances of advancing increase with the current staff? That I totally disagree with. Barnes has shown that he will continually get you to the dance and not advance. That pretty much sums up his entire career, so I dont know why anybody thinks that changes now for him.

So you’re going to ignore his…

4 Sweet 16’s
2 Elite 8’s
1 Final 4

??????

His career track record literally proof of just that, that the more times you go to the dance the more likely of advancing at some point you are.

 

[Volfanatic_20]

Tennessee and Rick have quietly been talking about an extension for some time now, I haven't reported anything about it b/c I haven't been under the impression that any resolution was imminent, there's no rush or pressure and he was always going to get an extension.

He won't go to 6 million off the bat but will get there sometime during the life of the contract and the length is accurate-ish from what I'm hearing but doesn't mean much as far as a firm deadline for retirement.

He has told me multiple times in the past that the first time he's not excited about going to practice he'll hang it up regardless of what his contract situation is.

-VQ

 

[Vols8086]

So you’re going to ignore his…

4 Sweet 16’s
2 Elite 8’s
1 Final 4

??????

His career track record literally proof of just that, that the more times you go to the dance the more likely of advancing at some point you are.

You are basically saying that the tourney is completely random. So you think its virtually a coin flip every single game? No skill involved, just total good or bad fortune? If that is your stance then no reason to tout his "accomplishments" since its totally random.

If you think there is skill involved, then why are you impressed by those numbers in over 30 years as a HC? Especially given the talent level he has had? I think there are plenty of coaches that if they had the same talent level would equal or exceed those numbers over 30+ years.

Its ok to be a fan of Barnes and admit his shortcomings in March.

 

[cncchris33]

Why does continually making the dance mean our chances of advancing increase with the current staff? That I totally disagree with. Barnes has shown that he will continually get you to the dance and not advance. That pretty much sums up his entire career, so I dont know why anybody thinks that changes now for him.

Because a lot of NCAAT outcome is predicated on luck and good fortune. You can choose to believe that, or dismiss it. If you simply dismiss it, we can just agree to disagree.

Just an example, Auburn should have been bounced in their opening game in 2019. Instead, a 78% FT shooter misses 2/3 shots for New Mexico St., down 2 points with 1.1 seconds left, and Auburn goes on a run to the Final Four.

There is a line of other such stories that stretches around the block. The more often you get there and the higher seed you are (thus a conceivably easier path), the better your chances of breaking thru at some point. The results aren’t quite as static as you seem to indicate.

 

[bleedingTNorange]

You are basically saying that the tourney is completely random. So you think its virtually a coin flip every single game? No skill involved, just total good or bad fortune? If that is your stance then no reason to tout his "accomplishments" since its totally random.

If you think there is skill involved, then why are you impressed by those numbers in over 30 years as a HC? Especially given the talent level he has had? I think there are plenty of coaches that if they had the same talent level would equal or exceed those numbers over 30+ years.

Its ok to be a fan of Barnes and admit his shortcomings in March.

I’ve never said otherwise, but you also can’t ignore that he has had lots of success as well overall, and still gotten deep into the tourney on occasion.

You tried saying that the more NCAAT appearances we go to our chances of advancing don’t change, that’s incorrect based on the track record was my point. In 17 years at Texas he made the NCAAT 16 times, advanced to S16 or better 5x, or 30% of the time. He’s made the dance 3 years at Tennessee and advanced to S16 or better 1x, or 33%….continue to make the dance every year and percentages/history say we will make it past the first weekend and maybe further.

 

[savannahfan]

Not sure the urgency to extend Barnes, he still had 3 seasons left on the contract he signed in 2019 right? Not opposed to it, just a little surprised at the timing.

I expect this removes one area that will not need to be bothered with going forward. This is the top money the UT system will tolerate. (I think) The time left for Barnes seems to be about right. With this out of the way (unless Barnes goes to another job or leaves some other way) the AD does not need to be worrying about basketball. Also with this fixed payout, he knows how much he will have to divide among the other sports. Good move to help stabilize things so he knows where he stands and better what he will be able to do.

 

[griffdog14]

Perfect length, when this contract is up and Barnes retires, it'll be just in time for Donnie Tyndalls show clause expiration and we can hire him once again

 

[Vols8086]

Because a lot of NCAAT outcome is predicated on luck and good fortune. You can choose to believe that, or dismiss it. If you simply dismiss it, we can just agree to disagree.

Just an example, Auburn should have been bounced in their opening game in 2019. Instead, a 78% FT shooter misses 2/3 shots for New Mexico St., down 2 points with 1.1 seconds left, and Auburn goes on a run to the Final Four.

There is a line of other such stories that stretches around the block. The more often you get there and the higher seed you are (thus a conceivably easier path), the better your chances of breaking thru at some point. The results aren’t quite as static as you seem to indicate.

I understand there is always some luck/good fortune involved. However, more often than not, a superior team will eventually win out and advance. That's why your Final Four teams are all typically pretty darn good with maybe 1 surprise in there. By your estimation, Barnes has just had a lot of bad luck and bad fortune over 30+ years. With that large a data sample, it's more than just a bad bounce or two.

 

[Brick_By_Brick]

Perfect length, when this contract is up and Barnes retires, it'll be just in time for Donnie Tyndalls show clause expiration and we can hire him once again

Absolutely--Danny White is playing 3D chess.

 

[cncchris33]

I understand there is always some luck/good fortune involved. However, more often than not, a superior team will eventually win out and advance. That's why your Final Four teams are all typically pretty darn good with maybe 1 surprise in there. By your estimation, Barnes has just had a lot of bad luck and bad fortune over 30+ years. With that large a data sample, it's more than just a bad bounce or two.

No, that is not my estimation. My estimation is this: If I concede that Barnes has been a poor postseason coach, then it seems to reason that he will need more of those elements of luck and good fortune that are provided across additional opportunities and easier paths (high seeds).

 

[Witch_Doctor]

Witch Doctor say pay the man, let him retire with dignity and THEN you can talk about hiring a Better coach after he leaves. Witch Doctor say Barnes will have left a program that others WANT to be part of.
Witch Doctor say google "Tennessee Football" if you have questions, until then we cant pretend we are some elite ball program thats getting held back by him. idiots.
PS top kids coming, young up and coming coaches coming in to learn under him..Pay 6.9 million, its going to pay off now and later.

BNL