Rick Barnes discussion (merged)

[VolsRule]

UT is a football school - top coaches will not come here

 

[SGMVols]

UT is a football school - top coaches will not come here

This is also why I don’t think Calipari is going to Texas. He likes being the BMOC too much. I can’t see him going anywhere basketball isn’t the main attraction.

 

[JMSqb11]

Wasn't a Cuonzo fan by far...But as a tournament sport goes he took UT in 3 years as far as Barnes has in his years here....One Sweet 16.

Barnes- Automatic bid every year to NCAAT with little doubt

Cuonzo- Last 4 in team that had to play a play in game in Dayton and got hot

 

[Tnphil]

Barnes has been here 7 years and got in 4 times. And no we weren't getting in 2020 before the season was cancelled.

The fact is and there is no disputing it....Martin went to 1 Sweet 16 and Barnes has gone to 1 Sweet 16 at UT.

I like Barnes but going to 1 Sweet 16 in the past 14 years is nothing to brag about from a multi millionaire coach.

 

[mr.checkerboards]

What trophy do you get for making the Elite Eight?

A banner in your arena

 

[05_never_again]

UT is a football school - top coaches will not come here

I would've said that 10 or 20 years ago, but not sure how true that holds today. The SEC has become a pretty good basketball conference and the football money goes a long way, being able to help other sports.

We have a good coach. Auburn has a good coach. Arkansas and Alabama have good coaches. Kentucky has a good coach. One of the best basketball coaches around, college or pro, was at UF for a long time. This conference isn't like it used to be where it was UK, one other team who was randomly having a good year, then everybody else.

 

[SGMVols]

A banner in your arena

Dude. We hang banners for making the NIT.

 

[n_huffhines]

Might want to check your facts, brother. Pearl had a better record at Tennessee in six seasons than Barnes has had in 7.5 seasons. Look it up. I believe Pearl also took us to the Elite 8, did he not? Look it up.

This is nothing at all against Coach Barnes. I’m glad he’s our coach. But there comes a time in every college basketball coach’s career when you have to break through the ceiling and take it to next level. I wrote this about Barnes last year. And the year before that. And the year before that. Losing to KY today was bad, esp on Chris Lorton day. I would write “but the tourney is what matters.” But I wrote that last year. And the year before that. And the year before that.

Based solely on experience, I expect us to win close to 30 games and make the NCAA tournament. Then I expect us to win no more than two games and start saying “wait til next year” again. Barnes runs a great program. He recruits very well. He wins games. But he has yet to prove that he’s a tournament coach. That remains his ceiling.

Pearl never won an SEC tourney for us. The differences are negligible. It's a ver similar run, without the dirt under our nails.

 

[DuckInAPen]

Pearl never won an SEC tourney for us. The differences are negligible. It's a ver similar run, without the dirt under our nails.

Pearl also inherited a better roster than Barnes did.

 

[VolGee4]

Might want to check your facts, brother. Pearl had a better record at Tennessee in six seasons than Barnes has had in 7.5 seasons. Look it up. I believe Pearl also took us to the Elite 8, did he not? Look it up.

This is nothing at all against Coach Barnes. I’m glad he’s our coach. But there comes a time in every college basketball coach’s career when you have to break through the ceiling and take it to next level. I wrote this about Barnes last year. And the year before that. And the year before that. Losing to KY today was bad, esp on Chris Lorton day. I would write “but the tourney is what matters.” But I wrote that last year. And the year before that. And the year before that.

Based solely on experience, I expect us to win close to 30 games and make the NCAA tournament. Then I expect us to win no more than two games and start saying “wait til next year” again. Barnes runs a great program. He recruits very well. He wins games. But he has yet to prove that he’s a tournament coach. That remains his ceiling.

Facts are that Pearl’s winning % was 70.4% and Barnes’ winning % is 66.5%. Pearl inherited an NBA PG and the greatest shooter in school history. Pearl had two 25+ win seasons; Barnes has three. Both got to #1. Pearl went to the EE; Barnes went to 2 SECT finals and won one. Barnes has been to the SS. Pearl was 4-9 against UK (even before Cal got there); Barnes is 9-8 against UK. All facts.

The run that Barnes has had is great, and I’m not quite sure what some of fans really expect. Sure, March can be better, but you also must be careful what you ask for. Basketball at UT right now is generally fun to watch and very successful.

 

[airvols]

A few years ago Rick blew a game that took some pressure off Barnes, I think Barnes just returned the favor. Coaching buddy system.

 

[Voltopia]

A few years ago Rick blew a game that took some pressure off Barnes, I think Barnes just returned the favor. Coaching buddy system.

You know, I wondered about that. Barnes and Calipari have been good friends for ages. If Tennessee had won, the inferno in Lexington would have been turned up to 11, and I mean it would have been incendiary. The Kentucky fan base was ready to gut Calipari and leave him outside Rupp Arena as a warning to their next coach. Instead, Kentucky gets a season-saving win, ESPN's praising them and talking them up for days, Big Blue nation settles down for a bit, and Tennessee takes a big hit but is still 14-3 and on course for the tournament. Couldn't help but wonder if our coach was completely up for chasing a real knock-Kentucky-out-for-good kind of blow considering what would have happened afterward.

 

[Berry4Heisman14]

You know, I wondered about that. Barnes and Calipari have been good friends for ages. If Tennessee had won, the inferno in Lexington would have been turned up to 11, and I mean it would have been incendiary. The Kentucky fan base was ready to gut Calipari and leave him outside Rupp Arena as a warning to their next coach. Instead, Kentucky gets a season-saving win, ESPN's praising them and talking them up for days, Big Blue nation settles down for a bit, and Tennessee takes a big hit but is still 14-3 and on course for the tournament. Couldn't help but wonder if our coach was completely up for chasing a real knock-Kentucky-out-for-good kind of blow considering what would have happened afterward.

This is delusional

 

[Volprofch05]

You know, I wondered about that. Barnes and Calipari have been good friends for ages. If Tennessee had won, the inferno in Lexington would have been turned up to 11, and I mean it would have been incendiary. The Kentucky fan base was ready to gut Calipari and leave him outside Rupp Arena as a warning to their next coach. Instead, Kentucky gets a season-saving win, ESPN's praising them and talking them up for days, Big Blue nation settles down for a bit, and Tennessee takes a big hit but is still 14-3 and on course for the tournament. Couldn't help but wonder if our coach was completely up for chasing a real knock-Kentucky-out-for-good kind of blow considering what would have happened afterward.

Yep, and all RB needed to do was instruct our guys to purposefully miss point blank layups, which they of course went along with due to unquestioning obedience.

Also, UK fans were expecting to get blown out in this game, even a close loss would’ve probably turned down the heat after the Bama/USCjr debacles.

 

[Voltopia]

This is delusional

Yeah yeah, I realize it's delusional, but that last minute took a while and I had to think of something to pass the time while Tennessee was fouling out there.

 

[BelieveTheHeup93]

He’s a solid coach and we’ve been consistently one of the top teams in the country, but his offensive approach to the game is antiquated and will never get us to a final 4. There’s no floor spacing and he doesn’t allow talented players to take over games. His runs the team like a middle or high school team. Feed the post and run cuts to the basket. There’s no emphasis on the 3 ball and the game has passed him by. Had he not taken to cuffs off of Chandler last year and let him play we likely would’ve been a 5-6 seed instead of SEC Champs. I’m not going to say he should go because I don’t know if we could find a better coach at the moment, but if a young up and coming coach that plays a modern style of basketball emerges over the next couple of years and a blue blood job isn’t open at the time they should absolutely make the change. Especially if we continue to build on what we’ve done in football

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Just face the cold hard truth, people. Rick Barnes will NEVER win a championship at Tennessee! Except for that 2018 SEC regular season. Or the 2022 SEC Tournament. Or the 2022 Battle 4 Atlantis. But other than those… Tennessee will NEVER win a championship with Little Ricky B as their coach.

AND they’ll never be the #1 ranked team in the country like when Bruce took them there for a week. That’s just not going to happen. Wait…

Rick is just collecting a paycheck until he retires to his beach house. It’s been how many days now since he signed a highly ranked recruit?

 

[SmokeyLives]

A few years ago Rick blew a game that took some pressure off Barnes, I think Barnes just returned the favor. Coaching buddy system.

Dude, your avatar rocks! No pun intended.

 

[walkenvol]

He’s a solid coach and we’ve been consistently one of the top teams in the country, but his offensive approach to the game is antiquated and will never get us to a final 4. There’s no floor spacing and he doesn’t allow talented players to take over games. His runs the team like a middle or high school team. Feed the post and run cuts to the basket. There’s no emphasis on the 3 ball and the game has passed him by. Had he not taken to cuffs off of Chandler last year and let him play we likely would’ve been a 5-6 seed instead of SEC Champs. I’m not going to say he should go because I don’t know if we could find a better coach at the moment, but if a young up and coming coach that plays a modern style of basketball emerges over the next couple of years and a blue blood job isn’t open at the time they should absolutely make the change. Especially if we continue to build on what we’ve done in football

You don’t watch the games if you think there is no emphasis on the 3 ball. SMH

 

[calban]

The Looney Tunes are back. Just Luv those losses.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

This thread, again? It’s never going to die is it?

 

[jeff1vol]

Nobody is saying there are no coaches better than Barnes. We are saying there are no coaches better than Barnes who will come to UT

And thats just as dumb. Give me ONE legit reason why not?? We have EVERYTHING a good coach needs to win BIG. The ONLY things this program has yet to accomplish is a FF and a Natty.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

And that just as dumb. Give me ONE legit reason why not??

Because they would have just run off a highly successful, future Hall of Fame coach.

 

[jeff1vol]

Because they would have just run off a highly successful, future Hall of Fame coach.

Correct. But Im not saying to fire him. Im talking AFTER he leaves. Im not a supporter of firing Barnes. But if he retires, we need to aim BIG!!. No reason not to.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Correct. But Im not saying to fire him. Im talking AFTER he leaves. Im not a supporter of firing Barnes. But if he retires, we need to aim BIG!!. No reason not to.

That’s why I want Barnes to leave on his terms whenever he wants to. He has TN at a historically very high level. Allowing him to retire on his terms would be a refreshing change.

Mears was pushed out (because pharmacology in 1977 wasn’t effective for his condition).

Devoe was fired. As soon as he got TN back into the NCAAT.

Houston was fired.

O’Neill got butt hurt and quit.

Green was pushed out (because of his ****ty attitude).

Buzz was fired.

Bruce made bad decisions and was fired.

Cuonzo was a bad choice to immediately follow Pearl, both sides didn’t get along, he ran off ahead of being fired.

Donnie came with baggage and was forced out.

Forced out.
Fired.
Fired.
Got mad and quit.
Fired.
Fired.
Fired.
Got mad and quit.
Fired.

That’s a really sad history and stained reputation for any really good coach to want to step into if there are other options available. It sure would help out to have a coach retire and continue on as a friend and an advocate for the program.