Rick Barnes has emerged as a serious candidate the for UCLA job, reportedly has interviewed

Per Rob Lewis and VQ, they think Barnes leaving is possible.
If this happens, I totally give up as a Tennessee fan. Like, it's the most Tennessee thing imaginable, but it's just so unreal. From the outside looking in, there is literally no logical sense to the move. I just wonder what we as fans are missing that makes this make sense.
 
Easy to change culture in one year when your incoming class is made up of 4 and 5 stars.
Not far fetched considering Barnes’ ability to recruit big time players.
LOL.

Signed,
Lane Kiffin's Tennessee recruiting class
 
Lol @ everyone thinking there's any chance UT would go after a big name coach. The AD has publicly stated that bball is not a priority. Unless something has drastically changed, UT will not pony up the money for a big name coach.
So Phil Fulmer made that comment when Rick Barnes is the 2nd highest paid HC in the SEC. Doesn't quite add up!
 
Playing Devil's advocate here...

If Barnes leaves now, might there be positives in the fact we are coming off a season where we were a top 10 team? Like we could get a top tier coach who may be a bit younger.

FWIW, I love Barnes and hope he stays but just saying we aren't exactly chopped liver rn.


It’s times like these that we need big money in A D reserve
If we had big money to spare, Waltz is already at UT
If we had big money to spare, we wouldn’t sweat Barnes’ contract
 
That might be an overstatement. Jim Harrick won a National Title there. Is he a basketball immortal? Ben Howland made the Final Four 3 times and the National Championship game. Is Mississippi State's current coach a basketball immortal too?

No doubt it is easier to recruit there... look at the players that Howland used to pull. But Barnes is recruiting at a high level now with Josiah James and Corey Walker on the way and the quality of our visit list is really starting to pick up. Finally, I think east Tennessee is a much better fit for his personality than southern California. By all accounts, he and his wife (a UT graduate, remember?), love it here.

I believe both ended in NCAA scandals. I don't think Barnes would end that way there.
 
Lol @ everyone thinking there's any chance UT would go after a big name coach. The AD has publicly stated that bball is not a priority. Unless something has drastically changed, UT will not pony up the money for a big name coach.

This bull crap.

I’d say Phil doesn’t want to have to worry about the basketball program as he has said countless times that turning around the football programs makes the entire department go.

To say he doesn’t care is idiotic.
 
It’s times like these that we need big money in A D reserve
If we had big money to spare, Waltz is already at UT
If we had big money to spare, we wouldn’t sweat Barnes’ contract

Even if UCLA does happen, that's 5 million plus savings, we will be fine save some epic screw up by the admin in the search (which is totally possible if not likely)
 
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Yeah, UCLA would have to pay him 4 million a year just to make up the difference in taxes and cost of living. There is also the fact that his wife has family here and wants to retire here.
 
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Nice deflection....
Deflection? How else do you respond to your idiotic claim that culture is simply changed in a year with 4 and 5 star recruits? You really take some bizarre stances in this forum. How does culture change with talent? Answer: it doesn't. My example: Kiffin's 4 and 5 stars didn't change Jack squat with regards to culture.
 
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UCLA recruiting is literally effortless. You don’t even have to leave LA to do it. The window for a Title at UCLA is much wider than at UT.

Not saying I think he leaves but if his main driver is getting a title, UCLA offers the quickest and easier path.

Remember, he wasn’t brought to UT to win titles but to turn the program around.

At UCLA, winning titles would be first and foremost
Hmm!!! Ask yourself the last time UCLA won a NCAA title. Believe it was 1995 not exactly yesterday. In the meantime they seem to frequently change HC's!
 
Yeah, UCLA would have to pay him 4 million a year just to make up the difference in taxes and cost of living. There is also the fact that his wife has family here and wants to retire here.
I don't know who Ben Bolch's source is... but I question his info. I don't think Barnes is leaving but I guess we will see soon enough. If an announcement of an extension with a raise isn't made in the next couple days? Then it's time to worry.
 
Im in absolute shock. I've respected and loved Barnes for as long as I knew what basketball was. This is heartbreaking and I'm disappointed. I never thought Barnes would chase a paycheck. Deal is as good as done. Wow.
 
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Im in absolute shock. I've respected and loved Barnes for as long as I knew what basketball was. This is heartbreaking and I'm disappointed. I never thought Barnes would chase a paycheck. Deal is as good as done. Wow.
Source?
 
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