Take a moment to appreciate CRB

[Rememberthelate90s]

Pearl broke through on several measurables - first Elite Eight, first #1 ranking, first outright SEC regular season championship in a very long time, first 30 win season, first 80% plus winning percentage in a season in the modern era. Barnes is meeting many of those highly set bars. He’s also building a high level program primed for longevity. Pearl left TN as a smoldering mess.

Pearl was not dominating his last two years.

 

[WaywardVol]

Regarding when he retires...I think the lasting impact of Barnes is that he's shown what Tennessee basketball can be and is with the right coach. Yes, Pearl did too, but Barnes has shown that that wasn't a fluke. Further, Barnes has an established coaching tree (like Rodney Terry, for example) and that will make for more viable candidates when the time comes to replace him. I would imagine he'll be listened to when it comes to choosing his replacement.

A lot of people knew that UT was sleeping giant. Barnes himself said he was shocked at the interest from fans when he got here. The UTAD strangled the program for years. Pearl showed we could compete and Barnes showed it can be elite.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Pearl was not dominating his last two years.

It’s not unusual to take a step back from a very high level of success. Pearl has clearly been a really good coach. But he pushed it further in the gray area than he was allowed by the establishment. He also had rosters with many low character individuals that were needed at the time to dig out of the depths, but not good choices for building long term success.

 

[cardvolfan]

Success starts with the leadership at the university and Baseball Randy, Blonde Donde and White Danny have set the levels of what is expected and how the coaches are expected to achieve those expectations and that Tennessee can compete and win the right way.

Fulmer tried his best to run Barnes off before Randy stepped in to stop him from leaving for UCLA, redoing the contract, after running Fulmer and his hire Pruitt out of the program, they knew what they did not want in an AD and settled on White Danny who seems able to grasp Tennessee traditions and mesh them with the economic realities of college sports, mindful of the fan experience and the costs connected to those decisions to attend events, but the only thing sadder than Jeremy Pruitt, Buzz Peterson, Cuonzo Martin, Donnie Tyndall, Derek Dooley, Butch Jones (0-8 in the conference that last year) Handsome Dave Hart and the Fulmer AD charade are the baffoons who hired them for those positions at Tennessee they were completely unqualified for

I’m curious as to your comment that, “Fulmer tried his best to run Barnes off” comment. I think that’s a ridiculous statement and there is no credible evidence to remotely even suggest that was the case. I’ve been wrong before, but I believe your statement is a huge stretch.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

I’m curious as to your comment that, “Fulmer tried his best to run Barnes off” comment. I think that’s a ridiculous statement and there is no credible evidence to remotely even suggest that was the case. I’ve been wrong before, but I believe your statement is a huge stretch.

Didn’t Fulmer skip the Coach of the Year ceremony when CRB won the award?

 

[cardvolfan]

Didn’t Fulmer skip the Coach of the Year ceremony when CRB won the award?

Oh, I didn’t hear that, but maybe so. I just never heard any bad credible chatter. I think a whole bunch of UT supporters still have it in for Fulmer because of what is perceived, rightly or wrongly, as him messing us over by his past actions.

 

[TartanTurff]

I’m curious as to your comment that, “Fulmer tried his best to run Barnes off” comment. I think that’s a ridiculous statement and there is no credible evidence to remotely even suggest that was the case. I’ve been wrong before, but I believe your statement is a huge stretch.

Barnes won the Naismith Coach of the Year Award in 2019, awarded by the Atlanta Tip Off Club and presented to the winning coach at the Final Four weekend in Minneapolis, after having been the runner up in 2018. He also won the Henry Iba Award in 2019 and the Tennessee athletic director was not present for either presentation, arranged none of the transportation or accommodations and generally refused to acknowledge the accomplishments and awards until UCLA made the move to interview Barnes, which they did in their search to replace Steve Alford and presented a lucrative package to Barnes to come to Westwood, at that time, paying a basketball coach more than $4 - $5 million a year was lost on Fulmer who never got over $2.4 million a season. In my opinion, Fulmer could not value or appreciate the Barnes accomplishments and that was not lost on Barnes and why he would want to work for a guy that would not accept and recognize his success on the basketball court was obvious. Baseball Randy stepped in to straighten out the compensation in April 2019 to match the UCLA package, rumored to have reworked the reporting chain, threw in some extra perks like time on a chartered jet at his request, plenty of on the court and academic incentives in the new deal and Barnes is still here, Fulmer is not.

Barnes is the only Tennessee men's coach to win the award Pat Summit won 6 times.

 

[Putbacks]

I am so grateful for the structure, competitiveness, security, and success that Coach Barnes has brought. You just get a sense of cleanness to the program and that every game the players are prepared and organized to execute and battle. The feeling is totally contrastive to the feeling I had during the years with Houston, Peterson, Green, O’Neill, etc. Really disappointing when I read the occasional damning remarks from underachieving keyboardists who reserve praise for ultimate championships or deep advancement into an exclusive field of high quality competitors—all living out a dream.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

I am so grateful for the structure, competitiveness, security, and success that Coach Barnes has brought. You just get a sense of cleanness to the program and that every game the players are prepared and organized to execute and battle. The feeling is totally contrastive to the feeling I had during the years with Houston, Peterson, Green, O’Neill, etc. Really disappointing when I read the occasional damning remarks from underachieving keyboardists who reserve praise for ultimate championships or deep advancement into an exclusive field of high quality competitors—all living out a dream.

Sense of cleanness. Totally contrastive. Underachieving keyboardists. You’re a funny talking feller.

 

[Putbacks]

Sense of cleanness. Totally contrastive. Underachieving keyboardists. You’re a funny talking feller.

So you are affected, it appears….

 

[southgatevol]

Sense of cleanness. Totally contrastive. Underachieving keyboardists. You’re a funny talking feller.

But not wrong...

 

[BreatheUT]

Yes, he underperforms in the tourny, but he has taken our basketball program to a level that I wasn’t sure we’d ever see after Pearl.

When he leaves (retires) we will likely take a step back for a few years. This is truly the pinnacle of TN basketball, at least in my lifetime. Here’s to hoping we can continue raising that bar this year in the tourny and get coach a ring.

As much as we complain about the lack of tournament success, it did not start with Barnes. Barnes has raised the profile of UT basketball like no other previous coach. He has turned into the face of the program. Let's hope we can break through for our first Final 4 appearance soon.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

But not wrong...

Oh, I don’t disagree. Just acknowledging some fancy wordings and what not.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

So you are affected, it appears….

Makes me kind of tingly.

 

[BreatheUT]

Regarding when he retires...I think the lasting impact of Barnes is that he's shown what Tennessee basketball can be and is with the right coach. Yes, Pearl did too, but Barnes has shown that that wasn't a fluke. Further, Barnes has an established coaching tree (like Rodney Terry, for example) and that will make for more viable candidates when the time comes to replace him. I would imagine he'll be listened to when it comes to choosing his replacement.

Pearl was a fool and we looked the other way with criminals and bad students because of the thirst to win. It demonstrates how many folks will sacrifice their values when it helps the home team.

 

[tennrich1]

He really is an incredible recruiter. It doesn’t matter how many stars a player has, you can just assume if he is recruiting them, then they are probably good.

The REAL coaches that have been coasting to retirement have been Izzo and Boeheim.

AND they have solid character and strong family influences. So proud of the type young men he’s recruiting to rep our basketball program.

 

[Putbacks]

Makes me kind of tingly.

Clearly….

 

[tennrich1]

It’s amazing in our day when CLEARLY our nation is void of strong, sensible, high character, demanding leaders (especially among men) that we often don’t recognize one in our own midst. Rick Barnes undeniably possesses all those attributes. Personally I think the void is so deep we often settled for much much less and call it “good”. I personally celebrate those things in Rick and have told him that. His humility in on display when you do that BTW. JMO

 

[TennMan101]

Very thankful to have him. What a blessing that he fell right in our lap when we were in a death spiral. Thank you Texas. Bout time you paid back for the Alamo!

I honestly didn't believe he was a good hire, let alone a home run higher. He's definitely exceeded expectations! I hope he sticks around for another six or eight years.

 

[LibertyVol]

Sense of cleanness. Totally contrastive. Underachieving keyboardists. You’re a funny talking feller.

And right on target.

 

[RockyTop140]

Hmmm, I've not seen Rick Barnes miss a single shot, make a turnover nor double-dribble. Silly me.

24-25 record in the NCAA tourney. That speaks for itself. I think Barnes is a great coach but to say he’s underachieved in the tourney isn’t wrong.

 

[cardvolfan]

24-25 record in the NCAA tourney. That speaks for itself. I think Barnes is a great coach but to say he’s underachieved in the tourney isn’t wrong.

67 of 68 coaches in the tournament go out as losers every year. The NBA plays the series format because of the extreme randomness of one game. The variables in the college game are numerous. Barnes doesn’t suddenly forget how to coach.

 

[tdd]

We should certainly appreciate CRB more than we do. He is a good man that recruits well and coaches hard. Is he perfect….none of us are. With that said, we sure have won more under him than anyone. Sure Pearl had a few good years, but I’d rather have the integrity of Barnes than the foolishness of Pearl any day. The only hiccup was when he was leaving us for UCLA. I hope CRB, UT and the fan base have moved on from that. He is a for sure a Hall of Famer and I hope he can get his first NC this year. Go Vols.

 

[Thunder Good-Oil]

Clearly….

You seem triggered by the acknowledgment of your fancy vernacular.

 

[SGMVols]

Every basketball coach we’ve ever had would’ve left for UCLA if offered. I’m glad their boosters were too cheap to write UT the buyout check.