He is not worth 5 million a year

[JoAllan]

If college football had a 64 team tournament like basketball then Butch’s record would include taking 3 different teams in 3 conferences to the tournament. Butch has a career 62% winning percentage over 11 years. If Barnes was coaching football his 65% win percentage would be a 7-8 win season. Barnes was fired at Texas for being a good coach that couldn’t win many big games. Butch was fired at UT for the exact same thing. These guys have a lot more in common than people want to admit, and that is why some of us are concerned with making him one of the top 10 paid coaches in the country.

Come on this is nonsense 12 games vs 30.

You also fail to mention the football program had plenty of high recruits, yet they were either an over reach or under developed. While the basketball program took in 3 stars and turned them into 4 and 5 stars...........but really you sill can’t compare.

Also one coach was offered top $ by another program, and the other coach has yet to land a HC job.

 

[08Vol]

I just don’t understand why the best analogy anyone can make in protest of the contract is a football analogy.

Barnes has an infinitely better and longer track record of success than Butch Jones, so that comparison just doesn’t jive with me. Butch Jones was all talk and little walk. An equivalent football result would have been going 10-3 and 11-2 in seasons three and four, not 9-4 and 9-4.

I get that making that comparison helps to emotionally fuel your argument because EVERYONE universally hates Butch Jones, but it really doesn’t stack up. The two situations aren’t nearly as similar as you seem to believe. Rick isn’t Butch in any shape, form, or fashion. There is a chance of regression next season, but this team won’t go 10-21 and winless in the SEC. Recruiting is improving with 5* players Josiah James and Corey Walker over the next two classes. Basketball talent is a much easier fix, and Barnes is an infinitely better coach and developer. It isn’t just Grant Williams that has grown. Punter, Schofield, Bowden, Bone, Turner, Alexander...all improved to a degree under his watch.

Few will say that in a vacuum that Barnes is worth $4.7 million per year. But few are willing to risk the status quo on Johnny Mid-major to come in and replicate his results for $2 million less.

The main comparison is 2 coaches that were given huge raises for showing potential then flirting with other schools. For once I would like to see UT reward actual success instead of paying up front with the hope it will result in success.

They are a hard comparison to make in that football success is more measured by regular season accomplishments while basketball is measured by tournament accomplishments. Also there isn’t a basketball version of Alabama/Saban. Calipari and Pearl will be remembered as good/great coaches while Saban will be considered the greatest CFB coach ever.

 

[Alex10]

If Barnes starts making $5M/year, then UT fans should adjust and expect better results in the tournament then. You want to be paid like a top ten coach then you better produce like a top ten program. No more getting bounced by Loyola or having a preseason top 10 team not win a conference title or make a Final Four.

Non sense!! We are lowely Tennessee!! You cannot expect tangible accomplishments here!!! You must be happy, nay thrilled with winning trivial things such as a lot of regular season games in a tournament sport!! Forget that the university makes a killing from a huge and great fanbase, you still are a fool for expecting tangible results. Instead I would advise you to start to learn to enjoy the participation trophy stuff like the champs of life slogan or winning a bunch of regular season games with a consensus top 10 team. Otherwise you will be attacked mercilessly on this board.

 

[08Vol]

We paid for the stability of the program. Replacing Barnes with another bargain basement hire could have been much more costly in the long run if he failed. With recruiting becoming easier with the stability Barnes has a lot better chance of handing the program over to a top hire when he retires.

This is the best reason I can see for his raise. I guess the flip side is the only reason we gave him a raise is due to UCLA being interested. The reason for his 5 million buy out was to protect us from having to give a huge raise to keep him here.

 

[calban]

Non sense!! We are lowely Tennessee!! You cannot expect tangible accomplishments here!!! You must be happy, nay thrilled with winning trivial things such as a lot of regular season games in a tournament sport!! Forget that the university makes a killing from a huge and great fanbase, you still are a fool for expecting tangible results. Instead I would advise you to start to learn to enjoy the participation trophy stuff like the champs of life slogan or winning a bunch of regular season games with a consensus top 10 team. Otherwise you will be attacked mercilessly on this board.

It's fair to expect better results for higher pay. And Barnes stated recently that he believes the program will ascend to the next level.

 

[Alex10]

Best we can expect to have? Cuonzo Martin made a sweet sixteen. Jerry Green won an SEC title. Don Devoe made the tournament consistently for awhile.

Tennessee is a really good job. We can find someone that will put up results.

I’m convinced some who post here are planted by the university itself. Some will all but say we should never expect anything better than mediocre in pretty much anything. It’s asinine. If schools like Auburn and Texas Tech can do it there is absolutely no reason in the world we shouldn’t at least hope for that at some point, and when you’ve got one of your best teams ever that would be the point you might should hope for it. Hey it’s sports and crap happens, we shouldn’t have just outright expected it to happen... but the number of people who attack those who are disappointed that it didn’t happen is absurd... it was absolutely a reasonable hope to have this year to win one of either reg season conference title, conference tournament title or big dance elite 8. Let people be disappointed for gods sakes.

 

[Alex10]

It's fair to expect better results for higher pay. And Barnes stated recently that he believes the program will ascend to the next level.

I know, I was being sarcastic

 

[Vols410]

I’m convinced some who post here are planted by the university itself. Some will all but say we should never expect anything better than mediocre in pretty much anything. It’s asinine. If schools like Auburn and Texas Tech can do it there is absolutely no reason in the world we shouldn’t at least hope for that at some point, and when you’ve got one of your best teams ever that would be the point you might should hope for it. Hey it’s sports and crap happens, we shouldn’t have just outright expected it to happen... but the number of people who attack those who are disappointed that it didn’t happen is absurd... it was absolutely a reasonable hope to have this year to win one of either reg season conference title, conference tournament title or big dance elite 8. Let people be disappointed for gods sakes.

I agree with this. It's totally ok to be disappointed that possibly our best team in program history got knocked out in the Sweet 16. That's totally fair and reasonable. On the other hand, I just don't think that tourney success alone is enough to be indicative of how good a coach actually is. Bruce went to the final four this year and deserves the credit for a fantastic finish to the year, but if NMSU hits that wide open shot in the first round, he's just another guy who couldn't crack a final four. Would he suddenly be a lesser coach for it?

At the end of the day I want results in the tourney no doubt, but if we're looking for a guy to do that I'm gonna trust the guy who assembled arguably the best team our program has seen instead of shelling out 2 million to hire another McGoogle.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

If college football had a 64 team tournament like basketball then Butch’s record would include taking 3 different teams in 3 conferences to the tournament. Butch has a career 62% winning percentage over 11 years. If Barnes was coaching football his 65% win percentage would be a 7-8 win season. Barnes was fired at Texas for being a good coach that couldn’t win many big games. Butch was fired at UT for the exact same thing. These guys have a lot more in common than people want to admit, and that is why some of us are concerned with making him one of the top 10 paid coaches in the country.

Here's the thing, you and I both have no control over what UT pays any of our coaches. But if you're looking at simply wins & losses then Barnes is a better coach than Butch. If for no other reason Barnes has a regular season SEC title and went to back to back conference tournament championship games. The thing that you & other fans are neglecting to see is that the culture around the program is at an all time high. We don't have players skipping class, failing, getting in trouble, and the attendance is at an all time high.

Neyland's max is 102,455 (since 2010) by year here's how many times it was "full" under Butch
Season 1: 5
Season 2: 4
Season 3: 2
Season 4: 2
Season 5: 1
Total "sell outs" under Butch - 14

Thompson-Boling Arena max is 21,678 (since 2007) by year here's how many times it was "full" under Barnes
Season 1: 0
Season 2: 0
Season 3: 3
Season 4: 6
Total "sell outs" under Barnes (so far) - 9

Martin had 1 sell out his entire time here, Pearl (from 2007 moving forward) had a total of 10 (in 4 years). So regardless of what some fans think the gross majority is proving they love Barnes and what he's doing with the team, and ultimately that's what the university & AD are looking at too. He's got fans showing up, and he's got players behaving, and he's winning...things Butch wasn't doing well.

 

[JoAllan]

Lol if people insist on the “football” analogy.

Barnes had his team ranked #1, took them to the SEC championship game, took them to the tourney (a bowl) and his team finished inside the top 10...........I don’t think the “football” people would complain or think that is mediocrity....if that was the football team.

 

[MoCo_Vol]

Tournament success is really hard.

Even the blue bloods can't always make the big dance...

Duke's last Final Four - 2015 (16 total)
Kentucky's last Final Four - 2015 (17 total)
North Carolina's last Final Four - 2017 (20 total)
Louisville's last Final Four - 2013 (10 total)
UCLA's last Final Four - 2008 (18 total)
Arizona's last Final Four - 2001 (4 total)
Indiana's last Final Four - 2002 (8 total)
Ohio State's last Final Four - 2012 (11 total)

 

[calban]

I know, I was being sarcastic

Had me goin.

 

[Vols410]

Lol if people insist on the “football” analogy.

Barnes had his team ranked #1, took them to the SEC championship game, took them to the tourney (a bowl) and his team finished inside the top 10...........I don’t think the “football” people would complain or think that is mediocrity....if that was the football team.

2 seed too. That'd be a BCS bowl.

 

[the one]

Best thing barnes can do is hire an assistant who can take over when he leaves

 

[PandamoniumReigns]

Frank Martin made a Final Four. Would anyone take him over Barnes?

Sometimes the stars align and things and breaks go your way...like South Carolina. Like Cuonzo making the sweet 16. People using that as a comparison to Barnes is absurd.

 

[BruinVol]

Frank Martin made a Final Four. Would anyone take him over Barnes?

Sometimes the stars align and things and breaks go your way...like South Carolina. Like Cuonzo making the sweet 16. People using that as a comparison to Barnes is absurd.

Exactly why you have to look at the regular season as well. It's absurd to only look at how far march madness took a coach.

 

[UTwild82]

The whole thing is kind of dumb. I didn’t hear many constantly complaining Barnes was making, what 3.6. So 3.6 is ok, but to give 1.1 more to keep him and to know (along with recruits to know) he isn’t going anywhere is dumb? These people don’t understand business or athletics.

Yep, and pay $4M or so a year for a mid major who may or may not work out.

 

[calban]

Exactly why you have to look at the regular season as well. It's absurd to only look at how far march madness took a coach.

Regular season play is what gets you there and that's where Barnes has excelled. And I'm sure he wants to break the jinx or whatever it is before he retires. He'd be gone if he didn't think it could be done here.

 

[Alex10]

I agree with this. It's totally ok to be disappointed that possibly our best team in program history got knocked out in the Sweet 16. That's totally fair and reasonable. On the other hand, I just don't think that tourney success alone is enough to be indicative of how good a coach actually is. Bruce went to the final four this year and deserves the credit for a fantastic finish to the year, but if NMSU hits that wide open shot in the first round, he's just another guy who couldn't crack a final four. Would he suddenly be a lesser coach for it?

At the end of the day I want results in the tourney no doubt, but if we're looking for a guy to do that I'm gonna trust the guy who assembled arguably the best team our program has seen instead of shelling out 2 million to hire another McGoogle.

I’m fine with Barnes.. I think he is a very solid coach who for some reason really struggles in the big tournaments. I’m good with keeping him. Do I think he earned a pay raise this year? No but then again it isn’t my money.. I would honestly be shocked if he ever gets us to the elite 8 much less the final four though. But hey all those who love having good regular seasons I’m sure we will have more of those. Prove me wrong Barnes!! I’d damn sure like to be.

 

[K-town Vol Fan]

I’m fine with Barnes.. I think he is a very solid coach who for some reason really struggles in the big tournaments. I’m good with keeping him. Do I think he earned a pay raise this year? No but then again it isn’t my money.. I would honestly be shocked if he ever gets us to the elite 8 much less the final four though. But hey all those who love having good regular seasons I’m sure we will have more of those. Prove me wrong Barnes!! I’d damn sure like to be.

Tennessee was picked by most pundits to finish dead last in the SEC last year. We won a share of the regular season SEC championship. He took that same team to. #1 ranking for a month and a lot of people picked us to go to the final 4. He deserves a raise.

 

[Alex10]

Tennessee was picked by most pundits to finish dead last in the SEC last year. We won a share of the regular season SEC championship. He took that same team to. #1 ranking for a month and a lot of people picked us to go to the final 4. He deserves a raise.

Ok, another way to look at it is he finished 3rd in sec reg season this year, runner up in sec tournament and tied for 3rd among sec teams as far as advancing in the ncaa Tournament. He was already the second highest paid coach in the sec. by that criteria he in no way deserved a raise.

 

[PandamoniumReigns]

Ok, another way to look at it is he finished 3rd in sec reg season this year, runner up in sec tournament and tied for 3rd among sec teams as far as advancing in the ncaa Tournament. He was already the second highest paid coach in the sec. by that criteria he in no way deserved a raise.

Thats a ridiculous take.

 

[Alex10]

Thats a ridiculous take.

Is their a fact that I stated that isn’t true?

 

[bigdaddy]

Is their a fact that I stated that isn’t true?

When Cal got his money for yet another sub par year everyone else had to up the game. It’s called market value. Either pay Barnes and keep the program stable or let him leave and b-ball goes into the gutter and starts over again.

 

[bigdaddy]

I’m fine with Barnes.. I think he is a very solid coach who for some reason really struggles in the big tournaments. I’m good with keeping him. Do I think he earned a pay raise this year? No but then again it isn’t my money.. I would honestly be shocked if he ever gets us to the elite 8 much less the final four though. But hey all those who love having good regular seasons I’m sure we will have more of those. Prove me wrong Barnes!! I’d damn sure like to be.

You pretty much just described Calipari