Is Coach Barnes UT's best ever.

Is Coach Rick Barnes UT's best ever?

  • Yes

    Votes: 115 55.0%
  • No

    Votes: 9 4.3%
  • No, the jury is still out

    Votes: 92 44.0%

  • Total voters
    209
#51
#51
This is my dilemma with NCAAT, what if CCM’s team that was Last 4 in makes the basket against Michigan to make the S16 and then makes the E8, are they the best Tennessee team ever? Many said that was one of the most disappointing and under achieving regular season teams ever, does a 4 game winning streak change that? Conversely, if this team say goes 28-3(16-2) wins the SEC regular season, SECT, gets a 1 seed and loses in the S16, how does that rank?

To me I try to separate regular season and NCAAT because of that, but jmo.

It's a March sport, unfortunately. You, basically, described Virginia's season last year. You think anyone in Charlottesville will remember the 2017-18 season fondly? I doubt it. However, I do know the NC State and Villanova fans reminisce with great reverence 1983 and 1985, respectively.

Ultimately, the NCAA Tournament matters above all else. It'll be the mark of this team's success, in the end.
 
#53
#53
Anyone think Donnie Tyndall would have this program where it is right now?

Goes to show you how important good leadership/coaching is for a program. It’s make or break in terms of sustained success.

Which brings me to my next point.. It probably wouldn’t be a bad idea for Phillip Fulmer to whip out his “short list” of replacements for Holly Warlick.

Life is too short to be led by bad coaching. 😂
 
#54
#54
Ignorant post.

Winning half of his games with Kentucky didn't really count? Winning 3 SEC championships didn't really count? Being SEC runner up 8 times didn't count? Never having a losing season didn't count?

Reggie Johnson only played for Mears his freshman season and nearly averaged a double-double. Darden only played for Mears his freshman and sophomore years. Mears had another outstanding player in the Grunfeld/Jackson class... but he had to quit because of cancer.

8 time runner-up actually is disapppinting to me, and no NCAAT success is the real yardstick. Not trying to pick an argument, Thunder - I just am philosophically opposed to hamstringing more than half your team on offense. In general (of course there are occasional role players), everyone should contribute, like the current Vols or GSW - and developing a 7-8 man rotation who are all part of the offense makes a team much more resilient when one of the only two guys who are allowed to shoot fouls out or is injured (only a slight exaggeration - it was maddening seeing Jackson conditioned into passing up wide open mid-range jumpers). I get that a lot of people around here think Mears was great, and of course there were great moments like after King said he’d never lose to Kentucky again. And he consistently produced good teams. But would Duke or Kentucky or Kansas have been content? Tired of being almost great. Goal should be to consistently live in the elite 8 and further.
 
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#55
#55
8 time runner-up actually is disapppinting to me, and no NCAAT success is the real yardstick. Not trying to pick an argument, Thunder - I just am philosophically opposed to hamstringing more than half your team on offense. In general (of course there are occasional role players), everyone should contribute, like the current Vols or GSW - and developing a 7-8 man rotation who are all part of the offense makes a team much more resilient when one of the only two guys who are allowed to shoot fouls out or is injured (only a slight exaggeration - it was maddening seeing Jackson conditioned into passing up wide open mid-range jumpers). I get that a lot of people around here think Mears was great, and of course there were great moments like after King said he’d never lose to Kentucky again. And he consistently produced good teams. But would Duke or Kentucky or Kansas have been content? Tired of being almost great. Goal should be to consistently live in the elite 8 and further.

Mears went to 3 NCAATs and would have gone to 13 or 14 under the current criteria. Stop using the NCAAT as a comparison. The field was 32 teams only in CRM's last 3 years. 25 before that and even smaller when he started. The fields weren't seeded either. TN versus Syracuse was 2 top 10 teams facing off in an OPENING ROUND.
 
#57
#57
TN has 10 SEC championships. Mears has 3 of them. When Mears became the UT HC TN's last SEC championship was 2 decades earlier. He doubled the total. Devoe has 1. Green has 1. Pearl has 1. Barnes has 1.
 
#58
#58
What is the case for Barnes not being the best coach? I understand the wait and see, but a straight-up no?
 
#59
#59
Who the hell's better? Don't give me that Ray Mears stuff. I was a student then and thought his Hank Iba strategy was about as exciting as watching paint dry. With Ernie & Bernie he couldn't make it to the Sweet 16 (that team had a lot of other talent too). I loved Pearl, but you know the end of that story. That brings us back to Barnes. Again, who's better?
 
#60
#60
TN has 10 SEC championships. Mears has 3 of them. When Mears became the UT HC TN's last SEC championship was 2 decades earlier. He doubled the total. Devoe has 1. Green has 1. Pearl has 1. Barnes has 1.

Mears had 15 seasons to get those three. That was when the only opposition was Kentucky.
 
#61
#61
Yes. He was the best coach we have had the day he was hired.

He has has been much better than any of the coaches I remember. Not old enough to have seen Mears.

I think what Bruce is doing in Aub shows Barnes is much much better. We know he is better than the other guys no question.
Your first statement is quite curious. He had not even coached ONE DAY here at that point.
 
#62
#62
Mears was a great CEO of his program. Promotions, entertainment, constantly gigging his rivals, but aside from the King/Grunfeld era, his basketball was a bit slow-paced for me. Pearl was a great CEO for Tennessee, an outstanding recruiter, and a pretty good coach. I think if Barnes does what he has a chance to do this year, his resume' will speak for itself.
 
#63
#63
I think the jury is still out. I am not discounting what he has done by any means. I just want to see what he does when it really matters come tourney time.
 
#64
#64
Your first statement is quite curious. He had not even coached ONE DAY here at that point.
So is the question best coach or most accomplished at UT?

Best would measure ability. He has more coaching ability than any coach we have had before.

If you want to argue the most accomplishment at UT that is different.

Pearl was here longer so he had a few more accomplishments at UT. Barnes has always been the better coach.
 
#65
#65
Mears had 15 seasons to get those three. That was when the only opposition was Kentucky.

Guess you've never heard of John Mengelt, TR Dunn, Johnny Neumann, Leon Douglas, Jan Van Breda Kolff, CM Newton, Clyde Lee, Wendell Hudson, Pete Maravich...
 
#66
#66
I love Barnes..........heck unlike some I loved the Barnes hire, from the get go. However how on earth can (right now) 25 people say he is Tennessee's best coach ever? So far he has gotten Tennessee to the tourney 1.........ONE.........time, and never past the second round. Sure this year could be the best ever for Tennessee.........and in some respects it already has been; however this season is still in effect.

Barnes may have come to Tennessee as the most qualified coach they have had, and Barnes may turn out to be the legit best coach Tennessee has ever had, but I see no way to say he is currently the best coach Tennessee has ever had (for and at Tennessee anyway).
Spot on. People are entitled to their opinion but Barnes as best coach ever at this point is just dumb. Do you put a baseball player in the Hall Of Fame because he had two good seasons? Barnes needs to cycle through another group of players and still have great success before he gets in the conversation. If he coaches long enough I like his chances.
 
#67
#67
Spot on. People are entitled to their opinion but Barnes as best coach ever at this point is just dumb. Do you put a baseball player in the Hall Of Fame because he had two good seasons? Barnes needs to cycle through another group of players and still have great success before he gets in the conversation. If he coaches long enough I like his chances.
Two good seasons? So I guess I'm dreaming up his FF and EE appearances. He is a HOF coach?

So do you mean he isn't the coach with the most accomplishments at UT? he is definitely the coach with the most career success and best coaching ability we have ever had.
 
#68
#68
Two good seasons? So I guess I'm dreaming up his FF and EE appearances. He is a HOF coach?

So do you mean he isn't the coach with the most accomplishments at UT? he is definitely the coach with the most career success and best coaching ability we have ever had.

To be fair, he was commenting on my post and agreeing. In my post I said he is prob the most accomplished coach UT ever hired (something to that effect). I think we are both agreeing Barnes is the best coach who has ever come to Tennessee........but for at least us, we want to see more of a sample before we say he is the best coach "for" Tennessee in Tennessee history.
 
#69
#69
To be fair, he was commenting on my post and agreeing. In my post I said he is prob the most accomplished coach UT ever hired (something to that effect). I think we are both agreeing Barnes is the best coach who has ever come to Tennessee........but for at least us, we want to see more of a sample before we say he is the best coach "for" Tennessee in Tennessee history.
I was just wondering. Those are two different things.

No he hasn't done the most here.

He is the best coach who has coached here.
 
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#70
#70
I was just wondering. Those are two different things.

No he hasn't done the most here.

He is the best coach who has coaches here.

exactly

That is what I was saying, and I'm pretty sure it was what he was agreeing with

There certainly hasn't been a coach who has come to Tennessee in my viewing time with the level of experience and accomplishments as Barnes. By his 3rd season he took Tennessee from down levels (to be kind) to very high levels, and now he has Tennessee to a place they have never been. A lot of people will count or discount this season depending on a final four or something like that. However for me at least building a real program takes time. For me no matter what happens this season has been huge in changing Tennessee basketball.
 
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#71
#71
Barnes has done more with less than any other UT coach. He has the ability to see talent that others miss. Bruce Pearl could never have discovered Grant Williams. Would Mears have ever let him play?
 
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#72
#72
Watching Kansas game and announcers were just talking about the Vols. FYI, Holly Rowe said she is flying to Knoxville tomorrow to interview Barnes as part of a big feature story on him that'll air on ESPN's College Gameday this Saturday. Imagine that, ESPN will be talking about the Vols on a Saturday, they might even throw some praise our coach's way! ;)
 
#73
#73
King didn't play versus VMI in the 1976 NCAAT.

In the 1977 OT loss to Syracuse King, Grunfeld, and Jackson fouled out and Johnson had 4 fouls. That game was in effect a 2 seed versus a 3 seed in the opening round... 2 top 10 teams facing each other. Exactly how did Mears choke?

You just said he had King, Grunfeld, Jackson , and Johnson on same team how is this not a choke job. Two greatest players all time on same team and Reggie Johnson
who carrried team his sr yr, how could this not be anything but classic choke. The next season loses to Southern Conference VMI, good coaches get maximum
from players. Mears did alot good things for Vol BB, this on him he could not win tourney games. KIng did not play VMI but he should have won game with JV team.
Meares could not win NCAA tourney games my point. GO VOLS........
 
#75
#75
Two good seasons? So I guess I'm dreaming up his FF and EE appearances. He is a HOF coach?

So do you mean he isn't the coach with the most accomplishments at UT? he is definitely the coach with the most career success and best coaching ability we have ever had.
Best coach ever at Tennessee I assumed would be what he accomplished at Tennessee.
 

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