Rick Barnes discussion (merged)

[hUTch2002]

I listen to you

Touché

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Ray Mears is the reason I love UT basketball just a bit more than I love UT football. He was my AD at UT Martin. Mears invented "Big Orange Country". Mears also changed from a successful defensive minded, half-court scheme to fast break offensive scheme over the course of 1 season. His level of PR was on a higher shelf than Pearl. Mears is right there with Barnes as UT's best BB coach

Ray Mears appropriated “Big Orange Country” from Philip Morris. He was driving his car to visit a recruit and saw a roadside billboard that had the “This is Marlboro Country” slogan.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

I haven’t heard the Basilio drunk callers that always trash Barnes. Apparently Phil, Jeeker, and Polish Joe forgot how to dial a phone.

 

[Native Orange]

Need some salt for these Black Feathers, Credit where credit’s due. Hat’s off to Coach Barnes and Them VOLS!!!

 

[berryvol]

I love Rick Barnes as much as anyone but the way some people brush Ray Mears to the side is crazy. The NCAAT was only 16 teams during the majority of his time and then only went to 32 towards the end of his time. It was a lot harder to even make the tournament back then. He finished 1st or 2nd in the conference 11 times in 15 seasons. That’s pretty incredible. Let’s not forget about him.

Stop. Get help.

 

[TheMookieMonster]

Our good friend Checkerboards has spent the night in the recruiting forum white knighting for Bruce instead of just enjoying this historic win. How fitting.

 

[OrangeInKy]

I haven’t heard the Basilio drunk callers that always trash Barnes. Apparently Phil, Jeeker, and Polish Joe forgot how to dial a phone.

Philly busy sending out BJ Edwards film to schools

 

[berryvol]

Our good friend Checkerboards has spent the night in the recruiting forum white knighting for Bruce instead of just enjoying this historic win. How fitting.

Good to know, think I’ll head there now to say something that will get me banned for 12 hours.

 

[SGMVols]

I haven’t heard the Basilio drunk callers that always trash Barnes. Apparently Phil, Jeeker, and Polish Joe forgot how to dial a phone.

Those are the three worst people in the entire fanbase.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Those are the three worst people in the entire fanbase.

Jeeker is on Basilio right now taking cheap shots directed at Santi and Aidoo. What an ass clown.

 

[OrangeInKy]

Jeeker is on Basilio right now taking cheap shots directed at Santi and Aidoo. What an ass clown.

No word from the Polish one or Phil?

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

No word from the Polish one or Phil?

I haven’t heard them. They also call Russell W Smith/Fan Run Radio on their post game show on X.

 

[Volfan1000]

Ray Mears appropriated “Big Orange Country” from Philip Morris. He was driving his car to visit a recruit and saw a roadside billboard that had the “This is Marlboro Country” slogan.

Mears, Pearl and Summitt were all public relations geniuses at Tennessee.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Stop. Get help.

Mears stood toe to toe with Adolph Rupp and didn’t flinch. TN was playing basketball in a barn when he was hired. Mears’ tenure was amazing. He retired at 50 years old.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Mears still has 3 of the 9 highest winning percentages in a season since TN joined the SEC.

16-2 in 1976-77 is the highest conference winning percentage that TN has ever had in a season.

Mears never had a losing season. He took over after a 4-19 season.

 

[volsforever27]

Yeah it's hard to compare the two because of the different eras, it's 1a and 1b to me. Barnes beats Purdue and you have to put him as the clear top. I've been critical at times but I always give credit where it's due as well.

Hopefully we win and go to a Final 4 for the 1st time and it's settled.

 

[landscapingvol]

Barnes gets a lot of criticism and it’s fair at times but he is a great coach. His teams play much tougher than Pearl’s

 

[ZZ13]

Barnes gets a lot of criticism and it’s fair at times but he is a great coach. His teams play much tougher than Pearl’s

Barnes made missing Santi look like nothing. Team didn’t miss a beat. PosiVols - Barnes is a great coach. NegaVols - told you Santi is now a liability.

 

[NighthawkVol]

Yeah it's hard to compare the two because of the different eras, it's 1a and 1b to me. Barnes beats Purdue and you have to put him as the clear top. I've been critical at times but I always give credit where it's due as well.

Hopefully we win and go to a Final 4 for the 1st time and it's settled.

Barnes is #1. The loss to Purdue in the S16 doesn’t matter now because he’s made an E8. Mears never won an NCAAT game. It’s obviously Barnes.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Barnes is #1. The loss to Purdue in the S16 doesn’t matter now because he’s made an E8. Mears never won an NCAAT game. It’s obviously Barnes.

Most of TN’s NCAAT appearances would not have happened if the other 5 TN coaches that have been to the NCAAT were also coaching in eras when only one SEC team was invited.

Mears had 15 winning seasons in 15 years after taking over a 4-19 program.

Mears has 3 SEC regular season championships. More than ANY OTHER UT coach.

Mears took down KY and Baron Rupp as the SECs only relevant program.

 

[TrippieRedd]

Don’t think it’s fair to compare two coaches that coached in completely different eras with so many differences in the game.

 

[volbound1700]

To give perspective to how good we have it now compared to our past, Notice Cuonzo Martin was tied with Jerry Green for 4th on all time tourney wins list here. 3 wins. Martin coached in one tournament here. We’ve got it very good, which is why the whining about Barnes here for so long has been so stupid.

I wish I could like this post 1000 times.

 

[volbound1700]

Most of TN’s NCAAT appearances would not have happened if the other 5 TN coaches that have been to the NCAAT were also coaching in eras when only one SEC team was invited.

Mears had 15 winning seasons in 15 years after taking over a 4-19 program.

Mears has 3 SEC regular season championships. More than ANY OTHER UT coach.

Mears took down KY and Baron Rupp as the SECs only relevant program.

Mears made a few tournaments but never won a game in it. Had he won a game or two, I might agree but getting punked in the tourny right away puts him behind Barnes and Pearl

 

[volbound1700]

Another plus for Barnes over other coaches is that the SEC has been stronger at Basketball in his Era than with any other coaches and the sport, as a whole, has more parity now.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Mears made a few tournaments but never won a game in it. Had he won a game or two, I might agree but getting punked in the tourny right away puts him behind Barnes and Pearl

Dumb argument. 16, 24 team fields. AND they didn’t seed the teams.