No more this about Barnes:

[vegasvolfan]

Barnes should be able to stay as long as he wants to at this point. He's earned that.

Amen

 

[mercuryvol]

Get ready to laugh,guys,but I still believe character matters. I believe my Alma Mater is judged partially by what represents it on a field of play and the coaches that are there.
There is no doubt in my mind that CRB is the best coach that UT has had in my 75 years but, outside of possibly Coach Neyland, the best person we have had to represent UT. To me that counts even more than the records. And that reflects directly on all of us as fans and vice versa. Yeah, he deserves a statue.

Sorry, meant to add BASKETBALL coach in the second paragraph. I still place the general first.

 

[johnboyhunter]

But hes only made 1 F4!!!!!!!!!

Final 4 means you are in the top 1.2% of teams. 308 D1 programs.

 

[chuckiepoo]

No,winning a championship would be insane.

…pass dat ova here.

 

[chuckiepoo]

Where are the posters that said no way Tennessee would make it out of first weekend?

Back safe under their rocks. They’ll be back.

 

[mscc1998]

A year without KY, FL or VU in the S16 is a good year. I am so glad we don't have to play any of them for a third time.

 

[BernardKingGOAT]

A year without KY, FL or VU in the S16 is a good year. I am so glad we don't have to play any of them for a third time.

I have loved to play UK Friday night

 

[PEPPERJAX]

Rick Barnes is by far the best coach in Tennessee basketball history. There is no one else remotely close. Bruce Pearl would be second but very distant.

Ray Mears is typically in discussion but I remember Ray well. While he was relevant within the SEC in a time that half the conference could care less about basketball, the man never won an NCAA tournament game even with King and Grunfeld. The Vols were irrelevant nationally and Don DeVoe was better than Ray in my humble opinion.

Coach Mears deserves honorable mention in his era and there was some exciting basketball and great rivalry games with Kentucky but Al McGuire referred to Tennessee basketball as an "Orange Circus" and there was truth in that statement.

Buzz Peterson didn’t sell enough popcorn.

 

[southgatevol]

It was indeed difficult to gain entry in to the tournament back in Mears day. Much easier in today's NCAA. The talent level and difficulty once there is much different in today's game.

 

[Volador]

This year was his best coaching job

@@##%&&(%%$#!!@^&()(&^^%$^*&%$#

 

[NighthawkVol]

Sorry, meant to add BASKETBALL coach in the second paragraph. I still place the general first.

Pat Summitt.

 

[NighthawkVol]

Back safe under their rocks. They’ll be back.

They’re miserable right now.

 

[All Vol!]

Forget "Regular Season Rick".
Henceforth it is "Deep Run Rick."

 

[tennrich1]

Where are the posters that said no way Tennessee would make it out of first weekend?q

They live in a quaint little village called Ignore Button in my world

 

[GBO2011]

A year without KY, FL or VU in the S16 is a good year. I am so glad we don't have to play any of them for a third time.

Why? We lost twice to Kentucky last year but we beat em in the sweet 16 when it mattered

 

[knox73]

Florida State vs. East Tennessee State Box Score (Men), March 9, 1968 | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Florida State vs. East Tennessee State Box Score (Men), March 9, 1968

www.sports-reference.com

ETSU won an NCAA tournament game about a decade before Tennessee. The OVC was the equal or better than the SEC during that era due to having Black players. The entire ACC was far superior to the SEC with occasional exceptions for Kentucky.

I loved listening to John Ward call games with Mears as coach - Ron Widby, etc. and loved Ernie and Bernie vs. Robey, Phillips and Jack Givens and watching Joe Hall shred his folded up program due to frustration. I attended games at Stokely and Rupp Arena. However it was a very different era with the NIT being close to the NCAA in prestige but Ray would not have been hired by any other major program due to special circumstances and you fellows know that.

Ray was a terrific SEC coach in his day and made the Vols regionally relevant and an interesting game experience while the rest of the SEC outside of UK and Alabama were largely indifferent about basketball - that is fair to say. He was an innovator, etc. but losing to VMI in the NCAA tournament - COME ON!

Barnes followed Donnie Tyndall and that is the greatest hire ever by Dave Hart and has put the Vols into big time basketball year after year.

 

[VolunteerCeltic]

Barnes stays as long as he wants!

 

[BigBadVol]

Without going thru the whole thread it may have been already stated but TN and Houston are the only two teams to make it to the sweet sixteen 4 consecutive times in the last 4 years.

 

[volfanhill]

Without going thru the whole thread it may have been already stated but TN and Houston are the only two teams to make it to the sweet sixteen 4 consecutive times in the last 4 years.

Alabama too

 

[VolGov53]

Vols this year under Barnes are the only team ever play two 30 win opponents in first two rounds of the tourney.

And now we get 29 win Iowa State. And if we win that we get either 33-3 Michigan or 25-9 Alabama

 

[Orangeblooded615]

Would be crazy if this was the team to push him farthest. Could se us competing eith anyone or absolutely laying an egg. Hopefully Ament shows out and we get others to continue to step up.

 

[Rickyvol77]

Final Fours don't mean anything.

Winning titles means something. No one thinks UGA, South Carolina, UMass, Western Kentucky, Penn, New Mexico St, FAU, etc are better programs because they went to a Final Four once

 

[WaywardVol]

1. He hasn’t beaten a lower seed

2. Regular season Rick. 4 straight Sweet 16s is insane. Now for 3 straight Elite 8s!

Let’s break the one final four.

 

[TNBV]

At Tennessee.

Crazy to think over his career that this was only his 2nd win as lower seed.

That is the curse of always being a high seed. Bu the time you play a higher seed you are usually playing one of the top 6 or so teams in the country.

 

[TNBV]

Final Fours don't mean anything.

Winning titles means something. No one thinks UGA, South Carolina, UMass, Western Kentucky, Penn, New Mexico St, FAU, etc are better programs because they went to a Final Four once

They mean something but I agree that sustained success like Barnes is better than a single final four. Now add a final four to the resume and it does take it to another level.