Barnes should have left for UCLA

[BowlBrother85]

Not because I don't want him, I think he's an outstanding coach and proud he's our coach.

No the reason is he'll never live up to the bump in salary in the eyes of VN. Too many on here are now just waiting for him to "fail" so they can be the first to say they told us so. So many on here act like we have this great BB history and are really one of the great programs. LOL. We are an afterthought in college basketball yet you all think we should win championships every year. You set unreal expectations on a program that is just not that relevant in the overall picture of college basketball. I guess that's just what VN does,,,

Like I said, I think Barnes has made a huge mistake staying....

That is just wrong on both counts. Nobody acts like we should be winning championships ever year. Our fans appreciate a coach who has brought us success and wanted Barnes to stay - just like Pearl was appreciated. The expectations here aren't unreasonable... just make the NCAA Tournament and you can have a long and lucrative career as a coach at Tennessee... and the afterthought remark is also dumb. We were the number 1 team in the country for 4 weeks this past season.

 

[Lurker]

Once UT football is rolling again, none of this matters at all. That's just the truth. People aren't gonna care about this if Pruitt is in the hunt for a natty year after year. Like I said, the sting of loss in basketball is gonna be real short lived as soon as people can begin focussing on football again.

Barnes may have just played the best hand of cards in the history of UT athletics.

He definitely played his cards very well.

I really hope you're wrong about your football point. There is room for both to succeed at a school like Tennessee. Florida, Michigan and Ohio State are examples of schools who have or have had both.

 

[05_never_again]

I don't think you are right. Of course Barnes will have expectations. He will be expected to make the NCAAT year in and year out---something UT has never done. Reasonable expectations of winning in the NCAAT will only come after expectations of reaching the NCAAT become established. You have to walk before you run and, as you (sort of) said, "aside [from] a smattering of decent years [the Vols have] NEVER fielded a dominant program and [UT] has NEVER been a true basketball school. I assume Barnes is here to move UT toward being a true basketball school.

The crucial hire now will be Barnes' successor, if he meets his expectations.

I think those were going to be Barnes's expectations going forward after this year, and now he got a big raise on top of it. His expectations just got ratcheted up another level. I don't think Tennessee ever is going to be expected to win the NCAAT. However, when Barnes is perceived to be heading into an "up year" (like this one we just had), he's going to be expected to make a run in the tournament; at a minimum make it past the first weekend. If that's the expectation, he met that this year, but notice how a lot of fans even felt like that was lacking.

Also, if he continues to recruit kids like James, the expectation will be deep tournament runs pretty consistently along with eventually winning an SECT. If he stays here 5 more years and the furthest he goes is the Sweet Sixteen, I honestly think people will be disappointed. He definitely could placate some of that by winning an SECT though.

Relative to Tennessee's past, there is a lot of pressure on Barnes to eventually "win something." Get some hardware/hang something from the rafters. Win an SECT, make a Final Four, at least make it back to the Elite Eight at some point.

 

[ru4real-really?]

volgr said:
They won't have to wait long. Barnes has a 30+ year track record filled with missed opportunities. This year, he took one of the most talented TN teams in school history and came away with nothing to show for it.[/QUOTE


your NOTHING does not hold up! 31 wins--no tennessee team has ever won more! AP number one ranking for four weeks--previous best was one week! Team earned their coach National coach of year awards (How long since a Vol coach has done that)!

Was a missed double dribble call or would have been in Championship coversation! Opened eyes of world and UCLA came calling with truck load of money!

and the world is talking about Tennessee basketball!

can we call that NOTHING?

 

[05_never_again]

That is just wrong on both counts. Nobody acts like we should be winning championships ever year. Our fans appreciate a coach who has brought us success and wanted Barnes to stay - just like Pearl was appreciated. The expectations here aren't unreasonable... just make the NCAA Tournament and you can have a long and lucrative career as a coach at Tennessee... and the afterthought remark is also dumb. We were the number 1 team in the country for 4 weeks this past season.

I really think that is becoming a thing of the past though. The expectation is higher than that now.

If Barnes stays here for 5 more years, makes the NCAAT every year, but never makes it beyond the first weekend, you think people will be happy? I don't, especially if in one of those years we were a high seed. Texas fired him for precisely that reason (look at Barnes's record from 2008-15).

 

[MWAVolfan]

He definitely played his cards very well.

I really hope you're wrong about your football point. There is room for both to succeed at a school like Tennessee. Florida, Michigan and Ohio State are examples of schools who have or have had both.

I agree completely that there is room for both to succeed. My point is that both DON'T HAVE TO succeed. If football is all good, then nothing else will matter. UT only cares about basketball because in dark times for football it gives us something to claim we are good at. some hope and pride that the football team couldn't give us.

Rick Barnes is like the babysitter of our feeling, but once big daddy Pruitt gets home, none of the kiddies are gonna care about the babysitter. They are all gonna run to daddy who they love the most.

 

[MWAVolfan]

I really think that is becoming a thing of the past though. The expectation is higher than that now.

If Barnes stays here for 5 more years, makes the NCAAT every year, but never makes it beyond the first weekend, you think people will be happy? I don't, especially if in one of those years we were a high seed. Texas fired him for precisely that reason (look at Barnes's record from 2008-15).

I say again, tell me what's happening with the football team in those five years and I can give you your answer.

 

[therealitytheory]

I don't think Barnes runs in to trouble living up to the fan base expectations vs. salary. Where I do think he runs in to some problems....most of the fan base bleed orange, live, and breath it. We expect the same from our coaches. I think he should hold a presser telling us what was going on in his mind. Does he have to? No! Should he....YES! I'll be the first to admit, I'm not holding him in the highest regard today, it's nothing to do with coaching, it's him personally. Him leaving would surely put the nail in the coffin with both Bone and Williams. Not to mention the recruits that have verbally committed. Outside looking in...he was willing to screw TN...for what? Money!

UCLA is a basketball blue blood. They were THE BB powerhouse when Barnes was rising up the ranks, and CRB revered Wooden along with everyone else in his generation. That you seriously demand an explanation is more on you than the fan base you presume to represent.

UT triumphed over UCLA and that is great any way you slice it. We are well below .500 in situations such as these going back a long time. Do you go back a long time? heh

 

[Big time vol]

Once again, name the coach

Can you be 100% positive that Beard wouldn't be interested for that kind of money?

 

[PEPPERJAX]

Not because I don't want him, I think he's an outstanding coach and proud he's our coach.

No the reason is he'll never live up to the bump in salary in the eyes of VN. Too many on here are now just waiting for him to "fail" so they can be the first to say they told us so. So many on here act like we have this great BB history and are really one of the great programs. LOL. We are an afterthought in college basketball yet you all think we should win championships every year. You set unreal expectations on a program that is just not that relevant in the overall picture of college basketball. I guess that's just what VN does,,,

Like I said, I think Barnes has made a huge mistake staying....

Dude are you for real? He matched 31 wins for the second time in program history this year iirc and has TN right up there with KY being one of the top teams in the SEC. His teams have improved each year. Recruiting is only going to get better which means more NCAA tournament teams. Any educated BBALL fan knows that CRB is worth it and the few "loons" are always going to be around with spewing negativity. It is highly unlikely that Phil could have landed a better coach If CRB had left for UCLA. Overpaid or not, Phil did the right thing by paying Rick.

 

[OrangeAllDay]

Bingo. Bingo. And bingo. Mods, sticky this.

He didn’t do it for money for himself. He pulled a pimp move to get what he knows this program needs. Support, commitment, just as much as the football program does. When you got Phil spending willy nilly on a crappy football program, you have to expect support to the program that actually is relevant at this point. I don’t see anybody mad that Phil opens up the check book for football. They shouldn’t be mad about him doing it for the program that actually gets results over there.

You look like a big idiot if you invest in the football program, that hasn’t done anything in 20 years, and let a hall of fame basketball coach, who just had you at number 1 for a month, walk away.

 

[MWAVolfan]

Dude are you for real? He matched 31 wins for the second time in program history this year iirc and has TN right up there with KY being one of the top teams in the SEC. His teams have improved each year. Recruiting is only going to get better which means more NCAA tournament teams. Any educated BBALL fan knows that CRB is worth it and the few "loons" are always going to be around with spewing negativity. It is highly unlikely that Phil could have landed a better coach If CRB had left for UCLA. Overpaid or not, Phil did the right thing by paying Rick.

If Phil is offering enough money there are other great coaches besides Barnes that would come to UT. Let me see, lots and lots of money with a huge buyout and no real expectations to win at a non-basketball school? Yes please, where do I sign and when does the dump truck of money get here?

 

[05_never_again]

I say again, tell me what's happening with the football team in those five years and I can give you your answer.

I don't quite think that football success completely absolves Barnes of underachieving play like you do. It certainly takes a microscope off him though, at least temporarily.

We both know that football is the straw that stirs the drink. A lack of football success breeds a desire to want to get excited and be successful at basketball. However, football success also lifts expectations of basketball ("Why can't we be good at both?"). Barnes knows all about that - basketball expectations got raised in the middle of his tenure at Texas because of what football was doing. Raises the profile and expectation of the entire University.

 

[StarRaider]

Well we fired Devoe after he made an NCAA and got Wade, then Kevin, Jerry, and Buzz. Jerry Green has some success and basically asked Coach Dickey to fire him so he could go somewhere in SC. So there's that. Plus the mess the Bruce created himself. Cuonzo bailed and then another Donnie mess. So I am pretty happy to have Coach Barnes after the last 30 years.

 

[vollygirl]

I don't think Barnes runs in to trouble living up to the fan base expectations vs. salary. Where I do think he runs in to some problems....most of the fan base bleed orange, live, and breath it. We expect the same from our coaches. I think he should hold a presser telling us what was going on in his mind. Does he have to? No! Should he....YES! I'll be the first to admit, I'm not holding him in the highest regard today, it's nothing to do with coaching, it's him personally. Him leaving would surely put the nail in the coffin with both Bone and Williams. Not to mention the recruits that have verbally committed. Outside looking in...he was willing to screw TN...for what? Money!

UCLA indirectly contacted Barnes on Tuesday. Talks heated up later in the week and Barnes on Friday told his athletic director, Phillip Fulmer, about the possibility of going West.

“It was more than anything about the place,’’ Barnes said Tuesday of UCLA. “It was strictly the lure of growing up knowing what UCLA basketball stood for and the challenge of bringing it back.’’

The UCLA deal hit a snag when UCLA wanted to give Barnes a $4 million signing bonus, then have him pay Tennessee the buyout. That would mean Barnes would be taxed about $1.6 million: 40 percent of $4 million.

Despite Barnes calling UCLA “one of the five best jobs in the country,’’ he wasn’t on board with UCLA’s buyout strategy and opted to stay at UT.

“This is a special place,’’ Barnes said of Knoxville.

The UCLA offer came out of nowhere. When Barnes signed his extension last year he said he didn’t request a buyout because “I wasn’t going anywhere.’’

Jimmy’s blog: Barnes might be only coach to turn down UCLA and Kentucky | WNML-AF

 

[MWAVolfan]

Dude are you for real? He matched 31 wins for the second time in program history this year iirc and has TN right up there with KY being one of the top teams in the SEC. His teams have improved each year. Recruiting is only going to get better which means more NCAA tournament teams. Any educated BBALL fan knows that CRB is worth it and the few "loons" are always going to be around with spewing negativity. It is highly unlikely that Phil could have landed a better coach If CRB had left for UCLA. Overpaid or not, Phil did the right thing by paying Rick.

Other schools are saying "he did THAT at UT with no talent? Imagine what he could do with real resources and recruiting at a real basketball school!"

Rick Barnes is saying "I can make crap tons of money at a school who doesn't mind that I get 3 star talent and flame out every year and has no real expectations to win big as long as I beat UK every so often?, yes please!"

 

[Sara Clark]

UCLA is a basketball blue blood. They were THE BB powerhouse when Barnes was rising up the ranks, and CRB revered Wooden along with everyone else in his generation. That you seriously demand an explanation is more on you than the fan base you presume to represent.

UT triumphed over UCLA and that is great any way you slice it. We are well below .500 in situations such as these going back a long time. Do you go back a long time? heh

Reading comprehension isn't your strong suit is it? Please show me where I demand an explanation!

 

[JohnD13]

Let's break the bank for Sweet 16 flameouts. Only UT.

Thanks for proving the point of my post

 

[MWAVolfan]

I don't quite think that football success completely absolves Barnes of underachieving play like you do. It certainly takes a microscope off him though, at least temporarily.

We both know that football is the straw that stirs the drink. A lack of football success breeds a desire to want to get excited and be successful at basketball. However, football success also lifts expectations of basketball ("Why can't we be good at both?"). Barnes knows all about that - basketball expectations got raised in the middle of his tenure at Texas because of what football was doing. Raises the profile and expectation of the entire University.

'

Yeah but Barnes lasted a LOOOOOOOOONG time at Texas after he peaked. After his Elite8 appearance in '08, six out of his last seven seasons he had double-digit losses in all but one season and was rarely better than 5th or 6th in the Big12 and never made it to the sweet16 again.

His decline coincided with Texas making it to the BCS title game in football.

To me, that's the very definition of flying under the radar at a football school.

 

[JMSqb11]

Can you be 100% positive that Beard wouldn't be interested for that kind of money?

Why come here when Tech is going to pony up for him after two year run with Elite 8 and National Title appearance?

Can you be 100% that Tech won’t offer him that money?

 

[VolArmy74]

Barnes flirting with another school and getting a fat raise should raise expectations for him. If you get paid at the level he is now the program should reflect that investment. Virginia winning the title and the teams in the final four show that Tennessee should have those same expectations. The OP acts like it's unreasonable to expect post season success.

 

[PEPPERJAX]

If Phil is offering enough money there are other great coaches besides Barnes that would come to UT. Let me see, lots and lots of money with a huge buyout and no real expectations to win at a non-basketball school? Yes please, where do I sign and when does the dump truck of money get here?

You are entitled to your opinion of course. Name the coaches please. If CRB would have left, my first call would have been Bruce who IMO may have been a realistic option comparable to Barnes. Who were the other realistic options equivalent to CRB? We probably overpaid but that is better than watching Buzz ball.

 

[05_never_again]

'

Yeah but Barnes lasted a LOOOOOOOOONG time at Texas after he peaked. After his Elite8 appearance in '08, six out of his last seven seasons he had double-digit losses in all but one season and was rarely better than 5th or 6th in the Big12 and never made it to the sweet16 again.

His decline coincided with Texas making it to the BCS title game in football.

To me, that's the very definition of flying under the radar at a football school.

Yeah, but remember football started sucking immediately after that 2009 high point. You could make a couple different cases for when Barnes peaked: that 2003 Final Four or that 2005-08 period when he made two Elite Eights in 3 seasons and had Kevin Durant, although the team with Durant didn't even make it out of the first weekend or win the Big 12. Football and basketball were riding high at largely the same time at Texas, then started declining at the same time.

If football sucking increased pressure on him, like we're both saying it does to an extent at Tennessee, he did last a long time as you suggested. So that kind of goes against what you're saying - football immediately started sucking after 2009, yet Barnes remained for 6 more middling seasons. I remember a lot of people thinking he was done after the 2012-13 season when they finished below .500 and didn't even make the NIT, but he remained 2 more years, and this was right in the throes of Mack Brown's final years/first two years of Charlie Strong. Perhaps they didn't want to replace a football and basketball coach that close together? Not sure.

If Barnes stays here 6 more years, goes 132-75 (57-47), makes 5 NCAATs but never makes it beyond the first weekend, never wins an SEC regular season title, and never wins an SECT, I think people would be pretty disappointed. That's precisely what Barnes did in his last 6 years at Texas. Even if football gets it turned around, and especially if football doesn't get turned around.

 

[PEPPERJAX]

Other schools are saying "he did THAT at UT with no talent? Imagine what he could do with real resources and recruiting at a real basketball school!"

Rick Barnes is saying "I can make crap tons of money at a school who doesn't mind that I get 3 star talent and flame out every year and has no real expectations to win big as long as I beat UK every so often?, yes please!"

UCLA is living on past accomplishments just like UT football. Sad but true. UT Had talent on their roster this year and will have it next year too.

 

[Sea Ray]

Hey, what happened to threads like "Starting to Hear Rumbles He's Gone"? They all of a sudden got wiped. These bad sources need to be documented for their inaccuracies so we know not to believe them the next time. They don't deserve "cover" from whoever's giving it to them

 

[Jack Burton]

It’s funny to see so many Barnes haters, and UT b-ball haters show their @ss.