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

Georgia State has nothing to do with it. Lanier has always been considered a great candidate to replace Barnes and I don't know why now would be any different. If anything the success makes it make more sense
By you.

And with the assumption it would be another 5 or so years.
 
Well considering Person's charges and sentencing basically exonerated anything with Bruce, I'd say he's in the clear.

I think people hate the idea of Bruce as an option and use the FBI "probe" as a reason

Wish I knew the facts but I'd love to have him back
 
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Again, Barnes isn't worth the kind of money to Tennessee that UCLA is willing to offer if the $7-8 million/yr figure is correct. We can hire an equally competent coach with less of a name for half that amount. If UCLA is willing to pay that, I won't fault Barnes one bit for jumping.
One thing, I'm sure not lost on Barnes, is you're going to have to earn at least $1MM more per year because of taxes, for net to be the same.
 
UCLA couldn't land Cal.....

So might as well go get the guy who currently owns and lives rent free in Cal's head.

What's funny about all this talk about throwing the bank at a coach or making them say no, etc is that UCLA wouldn't go for Dixon's 8mil buyout. We're talking UCLA. Blue blood status. Legendary program in hoops. A plum job no doubt. You got more 5 star recruits in your back yard than you can shake a stick at yet, they balked at the money and Cal turned them down or maybe his package is so obscenely rich that no sane AD would offer such a deal to get him? I still say it's all about fit. The coach, his family, his ideas/plans for his future...all have to be considered. There's a reason a guy like Mark Few stayed put where he was. At some point, it becomes day to day life and being happy. Once you get to a certain point financially, it's not the driving force for a decision on a job. Other factors become much more important than chasing a buck when you're already making more than you can spend.

I think our fans have this idea that we are UT. We can have whomever we want and can pay any amount. Everyone wants our head coaching jobs. We're entitled to be champions. We're entitled to be in the NCAAT every year. We're entitled and destined to rule sport x, y and z. Reality is just hard for many.
 
If he goes (which I doubt), for the love of God, please don't make us look stupid as in burning couches and mattresses. U.T. will go on. Coaches, even the best of them, come and go.
 
What's funny about all this talk about throwing the bank at a coach or making them say no, etc is that UCLA wouldn't go for Dixon's 8mil buyout. We're talking UCLA. Blue blood status. Legendary program in hoops. A plum job no doubt. You got more 5 star recruits in your back yard than you can shake a stick at yet, they balked at the money and Cal turned them down or maybe his package is so obscenely rich that no sane AD would offer such a deal to get him? I still say it's all about fit. The coach, his family, his ideas/plans for his future...all have to be considered. There's a reason a guy like Mark Few stayed put where he was. At some point, it becomes day to day life and being happy. Once you get to a certain point financially, it's not the driving force for a decision on a job. Other factors become much more important than chasing a buck when you're already making more than you can spend.

I think our fans have this idea that we are UT. We can have whomever we want and can pay any amount. Everyone wants our head coaching jobs. We're entitled to be champions. We're entitled to be in the NCAAT every year. We're entitled and destined to rule sport x, y and z. Reality is just hard for many.

Barnes is better than Dixon. Only advantage Dixon has is his age compared to Barnes.

So getting Barnes for 3 million less upfront is a deal.
 
No. Many fans have talked about him replacing Barnes in a positive way.
A couple people agreed with you here, but it’s not quite the blanket “has always been considered a great option to replace Barnes” that you stated.

Are you being contrarian or just panicking?
 
Same. But this is a weird way to angle for a raise....

Does he really need to flirt with UCLA to get a raise?

On the other hand, I do think he knows his time as a coach is almost over (less than 10 years) and UCLA could offer an easier way to a natty to polish his career achievements.

99.99% sure he isn’t leaving but just a weird way to angle for a raise given the status of the program he’s taken it to in just 4 years.

It’s not about the money, he’s made plenty in his career.
 
Holy crap man, you're acting as if Tony is reporting the 2 hate each other. He's not, again please read and consider the context before bashing a guy. Again you have no idea nor do your "sources" about what goes on behind closed doors. Barnes doesn't have an agent so he's not using this for a pay raise, he himself has had contact with UCLA by his own doing.


The Tony Basilio Show
Barnes Is Letting It Be Known:
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That Fulmer better step up with what he wants or he's going to take that job. Fulmer probably should've faked it and shown him some more love and interest the past few months. It seems they aren't as chummy as they once were according to sources. As I dug into it last night, one hoops guy I talked to said that having an AD like Fulmer would be a perfect situation because he's basically left alone. Apparently, Barnes is looking for some attention from Fulmer. Or another way to say it is that he's been looking for attention from an AD that seems obsessed with football. Now, will Barnes really take that UCLA position as he's currently bluffing toward doing?
As an AD, you put attention where it's needed. No need to micromanage bball. Football, on the other hand... Fulmer was always right there after the games, congratulating the team. I think some of this stuff is manufactured to serve an angle some journalist is pushing.
 
A couple people agreed with you here, but it’s not quite the blanket “has always been considered a great option to replace Barnes” that you stated.

Are you being contrarian or just panicking?


Sure they were some but there has been very little negative regarding him being the next cosch over the last two years. Head coach in waiting has been a topic discussed here a number of times with very little resistance.
 
Sure they were some but there has been very little negative regarding him being the next cosch over the last two years. Head coach in waiting has been a topic discussed here a number of times with very little resistance.
And again, with my other point, there didn’t seem to be immediacy to it, so it’s a lot easier to not vocalize negative thoughts with something so abstract.

Because your statement is equally as scientific, I would suspect that a poll here would reveal an 80%+ negative opinion on bringing Lanier as HC with something happening potentially imminently.
 
I’m not sure if Barnes understands the miscalculation he’s made here.

We’re going to take a step back next year with Bone, Admiral, Kyle and likely Grant leaving.

People are going to hold this whole UCLA thing against him if we start to lose. You’ll hear a lot of “we should have just let him walk.”
 
I’m not sure if Barnes understands the miscalculation he’s made here.

We’re going to take a step back next year with Bone, Admiral, Kyle and likely Grant leaving.

People are going to hold this whole UCLA thing against him if we start to lose. You’ll hear a lot of “we should have just let him walk.”

Definitely restock and rebuild if Bone/Grant leave.

Likely a 5-7 seed if Grant stays.

2-3 seed if Bone/Grant return.
 
And again, with my other point, there didn’t seem to be immediacy to it, so it’s a lot easier to not vocalize negative thoughts with something so abstract.

Because your statement is equally as scientific, I would suspect that a poll here would reveal an 80%+ negative opinion on bringing Lanier as HC with something happening potentially imminently.


Agreed 80% will see it negative now

However if Barnes announced his retirement next week and Lanier announced it woudnt have been a negative response.
Just different circumstances
 
I’m not sure if Barnes understands the miscalculation he’s made here.

We’re going to take a step back next year with Bone, Admiral, Kyle and likely Grant leaving.

People are going to hold this whole UCLA thing against him if we start to lose. You’ll hear a lot of “we should have just let him walk.”

If he stays this will blow over imo
 
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Same. But this is a weird way to angle for a raise....

Does he really need to flirt with UCLA to get a raise?

On the other hand, I do think he knows his time as a coach is almost over (less than 10 years) and UCLA could offer an easier way to a natty to polish his career achievements.

99.99% sure he isn’t leaving but just a weird way to angle for a raise given the status of the program he’s taken it to in just 4 years.

If these reports are true and he's talking with UCLA, I have to think it comes down to location, lifestyle and as I've pointed out elsewhere, the opportunity to make a serious run at the final 4 and a title. It's one part of his HOF career that's lacking.

UT fans don't want to hear it, but his chances of that level of success are far better at a place like UCLA than in Knoxville. Better recruiting. Easier recruiting. Easier path to winning out west, too.

And let's be honest about this roster we have returning. If Grant and Bone leave, this team will be fortunate to make the NIT. He knows what he's facing. He knows a couple of down years as his "projects" develop won't go over with the fans now that they've had a taste of success. Hell, he knows his clock is ticking, too.
 
At his age, any decision like this has little to nothing to do with money and all to do with winning championships and building a proud legacy. If Coach Barnes is confident he can win the PAC-10 next year with their talent; I believe he leaves. If he feels slighted and under-appreciated by the administration at Tennessee then this may not be as difficult a decision as our fan base thinks.
 
If he goes (which I doubt), for the love of God, please don't make us look stupid as in burning couches and mattresses. U.T. will go on. Coaches, even the best of them, come and go.

But that's my favorite part of the search. And we've done it so often lately we've damn near perfected the art.
 
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