Rick Barnes discussion (merged)

[Davel51]

Rick Barnes is a bad luck coach. His curse follows him and only a few times has it not showed its ugly head. He has won 3 meaningful games in his entire career. 2 conference tournament championship games and the 1 game that got his Texas team to the Final Four. So why have the basketball God's been unkind to poor Rick. The only one that know the answer to that is Rick Barnes.

 

[JCP201]

Wrote this in the recruiting forum, but post here, too.


Every loss, we go around and around.

VOLS fans of all people should know better thank firing a good coach because of some bumps in the road.

The mistake we made with the football team was firing Fulmer. His offensive coordinator (who went on to become a great coach) was never really given a chance and we had two Heisman quarterbacks committed. Firing Fulmer was what caused Clemson to rise. We should have allowed him to retire with dignity and our program wouldn't have struggled all these years. (hopefully Hype has gotten us out of that ugly mess.)

Barnes has us playing in the NCAA --ranked higher then predicted in preseason --often in the top ten- winning SEC last year, etc. He deserves to retire here, and then as should have happened with football, hire a great coach to replace him.

 

[LibertyVol]

People like you are why we should continue to accept mediocrity. Loser mentality. UT has all the resources to be an elite team.

I want to be elite too. So what coach that would be willing to come to Tennessee that would make Tennessee elite.

 

[VOLnVANDYland]

We have no one to rely on. Even when we had grant Williams and admiral we choked as usual Tennessee basketball does. We probably won’t see another team like that in my life time. And Barnes is probably as good as we can do for a coach. Like who are we gonna get ?

Ah this same old lame refrain “but who else we gonna get”… Yeah totally. How could a program top 5 in attendance, who has shown a willingness to pay a coach elite level salary, with a passionate fan base, in a rising conference flush with cash, led by a rising star of an AD who has pulled all the right strings this far, how could that program possibly replace a legend like January Rick? It’s gonna be tough to replicate 1 Sweet Sixteen in 7 (closing in fast on 8) seasons….real tough, hope Danny would be up for that task

 

[Special Ed]

Hopefully, it won't take much longer for Danny White to realize that Rick Barnes has reached his peak at UT.
If DW is really all about championships, as he seems to be, he'll do whatever it takes to get the basketball program on a championship track.

 

[Jravol78]

I mean, all we can do is laugh.

azzsphincter say huh ?

 

[Jravol78]

Again, could have used a guy like Grant Sherfield

I was always partial to Admiral Williamson , now that cat was a baller .

 

[kiddiedoc]

Hopefully, it won't take much longer for Danny White to realize that Rick Barnes has reached his peak at UT.
If DW is really all about championships, as he seems to be, he'll do whatever it takes to get the basketball program on a championship track.

So, we were ranked #1/2, had a couple of bad games with terrible, freakish luck at the end, and we should fire the coach?

 

[jaguinn5]

Rock Barnes was hired for stability. For all his shortcomings, he has brought that to the program. He will win a good amount if games and recruit well. He won't cause controversy or bring NCAA investigations. Atthe time of his hiring, that was what we needed. For those reasons, he has a very long leash.

That being said, he will never be a threat to win a championship. I feel that if Danny White feels like he can get someone better, he has the balls to do it. He just has to wait until the shortcomings become loud enough to rip off the bandaid. Barnes is almost 70 and underperforming based on expectations. For every year he doesn't make a tournament run, especially considering his recruiting success and expectations, his leash gets a little shorter. His age also starts to become a factor. He will be here for another couple of years at least (unless he retires unexpectedly) but if he hasn't made a tournament run in the next two years, he may not see a third year in his early 70s.

 

[Vols8086]

If Barnes can make it out of the first weekend in March (doubtful given his history and the way this team is playing right now) then none of this matters.

If he flounders in March again then Danny White will have to decide if this is acceptable long term or if he wants to shoot higher.

A lot of fans are happy with just making the tournament and could care less beyond that. I feel like the program has risen above that and we need to be trying to make the next step up, but some have much lower expectations. Barnes will be back next year for sure (unless he retires) and probably the next beyond that, but if he can’t get a team past the first weekend in the next 2 or 3 seasons then you’ve got some soul searching to do as a program on the expectations.

 

[VOLnVANDYland]

Rock Barnes was hired for stability. For all his shortcomings, he has brought that to the program. He will win a good amount if games and recruit well. He won't cause controversy or bring NCAA investigations. Atthe time of his hiring, that was what we needed. For those reasons, he has a very long leash.

That being said, he will never be a threat to win a championship. I feel that if Danny White feels like he can get someone better, he has the balls to do it. He just has to wait until the shortcomings become loud enough to rip off the bandaid. Barnes is almost 70 and underperforming based on expectations. For every year he doesn't make a tournament run, especially considering his recruiting success and expectations, his leash gets a little shorter. His age also starts to become a factor. He will be here for another couple of years at least (unless he retires unexpectedly) but if he hasn't made a tournament run in the next two years, he may not see a third year in his early 70s.

Totally agree. Barnes won’t be fired anytime soon, but fans are getting restless with his less than stellar tournament success. I won’t be wringing my hands when the time comes for finding his successor. I would totally trust Danny White. He hasn’t misstepped yet.

 

[TrippieRedd]

Totally agree. Barnes won’t be fired anytime soon, but fans are getting restless with his less than stellar tournament success. I won’t be wringing my hands when the time comes for finding his successor. I would totally trust Danny White. He hasn’t misstepped yet.

I honestly want English once Barnes retires

 

[sechamp2012]

Totally agree. Barnes won’t be fired anytime soon, but fans are getting restless with his less than stellar tournament success. I won’t be wringing my hands when the time comes for finding his successor. I would totally trust Danny White. He hasn’t misstepped yet.

Reading some of this not just you , the whole thread. it’s like UT was once a Dynasty we’ve virtually done nothing in Bball. Barnes has us at the highest ever without having a team with drugs guns and sanctions starring in your face.won SEC Tournament last year. I mean they’re 67 losers every year in NCAAT or 64 if your idea of a championship is final 4. So if you’re firing 32 out of 68 every year you are a Fanatic.
We have never been Duke, Kentucky or Kansas or anywhere near a blue blood in Bball.

 

[strkr]

Barnes history is what it is. He will always be compared back to it regarding how this team and future teams perform. I haven't gotten to invested in it as we know how it ends. Prick has brought our basketball program back into the national discussion which I give him credit for. Is Barnes able to take it to the next level? I am afraid not but who would be a better replacement? Good question.

 

[VOLnVANDYland]

Reading some of this not just you , the whole thread. it’s like UT was once a Dynasty we’ve virtually done nothing in Bball. Barnes has us at the highest ever without having a team with drugs guns and sanctions starring in your face.won SEC Tournament last year. I mean they’re 67 losers every year in NCAAT or 64 if your idea of a championship is final 4. So if you’re firing 32 out of 68 every year you are a Fanatic.
We have never been Duke, Kentucky or Kansas or anywhere near a blue blood in Bball.

So we shouldn’t have higher aspirations than rarely having a miraculous run out of the first weekend? There are a lot of reasons this program could have better success in March. And as for firing coaches after disappointing tournament experience…if it was just one season in isolation you might have a point

 

[jaguinn5]

Reading some of this not just you , the whole thread. it’s like UT was once a Dynasty we’ve virtually done nothing in Bball. Barnes has us at the highest ever without having a team with drugs guns and sanctions starring in your face.won SEC Tournament last year. I mean they’re 67 losers every year in NCAAT or 64 if your idea of a championship is final 4. So if you’re firing 32 out of 68 every year you are a Fanatic.
We have never been Duke, Kentucky or Kansas or anywhere near a blue blood in Bball.

I think most of us who are over Barnes' ongoing issues would acknowledge he has been a good coach, but he hasn't reached heights we've never reached before. Stop acting like our program has never been good.

 

[VOLnVANDYland]

So, we were ranked #1/2, had a couple of bad games with terrible, freakish luck at the end, and we should fire the coach?

No. We shouldn’t act like he is infallible or beyond criticism. And when he can’t get us out of the first weekend… yet again, we shouldn’t be surprised. Nor should we worry about finding a replacement when DW deems it the right time. It’s OK that some fans see the potential of the program and are frustrated with disappointing endings over and over again. It could all turn around still, but doesn’t look very likely at this point.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Of the 5 coaches hired between KO and Barnes, only one was a top choice and he left the program as a smoldering dumpster fire. TN settled for Jerry, Buzz, Cuonzo, and Donnie despite the big arena and big budget. Getting a high level coach to come to the hardest conference in America to win in and risk piling up losses every week won’t be at all easy.

 

[sechamp2012]

I think most of us who are over Barnes' ongoing issues would acknowledge he has been a good coach, but he hasn't reached heights we've never reached before. Stop acting like our program has never been good.

UT has been good & it’s good now and with players you can be proud to represent your program.We’ve just never been a Blue blood or anywhere close to dynamic. when Michigan beat Pearls last team in NCAA Tournament 75 to 45 was the lowest this program has been representative wise. The announcers were even more negative about the state of the Vol program March 2011 never want to be humiliated like that on a national stage like that 2011 team did on the court 30 point beat down and on the CBS Soapbox nonstop. I’ll take what we’ve got now and back them as long as they give their all to represent their University and their families and themselves.

 

[SGMVols]

It wasn’t that long ago we were in a stretch when we missed the tournament 13 out of 14 years. I’m ok with making the tournament every year. Football and women’s basketball are our championship sports and that’s probably how it’s always going to be.

 

[VolsSportsFan]

It wasn’t that long ago we were in a stretch when we missed the tournament 13 out of 14 years. I’m ok with making the tournament every year. Football and women’s basketball are our championship sports and that’s probably how it’s always going to be.

Look I get what you're saying, but honestly we've been good enough in basketball for a while now that I don't think expecting us to go to greater heights is some kind of insane expectation anymore. I'm old enough that yeah I remember the suck days but eventually that talk is going to get really old and sound like an excuse.

And you turn around and say football and women's basketball are our championship sports but football this is the first year in 20 years that we've really even been in the conversation and women's basketball is almost an afterthought. Someone in their 20s could have the attitude of "We've always sucked in those sports so my expectations are very low."

 

[jaguinn5]

It wasn’t that long ago we were in a stretch when we missed the tournament 13 out of 14 years. I’m ok with making the tournament every year. Football and women’s basketball are our championship sports and that’s probably how it’s always going to be.

Wasnt that long ago? That streak ended in 1997...that was 26 years ago. Before that, you've got to go back to the 60s and 70s...as in 50 to 60 years ago.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Wasnt that long ago? That streak ended in 1997...that was 26 years ago. Before that, you've got to go back to the 60s and 70s...as in 50 to 60 years ago.

Missed 5 of 6 not long ago. And I remember missing 13 of 14 very well.

 

[jaguinn5]

Missed 5 of 6 not long ago. And I remember missing 13 of 14 very well.

And right before that we made 6 in a row.

You guys can look at those stretches and act like that defines TN basketball if you want, but those stretches do not define the history of this program.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

And right before that we made 6 in a row.

You guys can look at those stretches and act like that defines TN basketball if you want, but those stretches do not define the history of this program.

The history doesn’t define the history?