Rick Barnes Signing Shows Faith in the Tennessee Basketball Process
On Tuesday, the Vols extended basketball head coach Rick Barnes' contract through the 2027-28 season. This gives him around five seasons left with Tennessee before retirement comes into the picture.
Barnes came off of a season that ended in a sweet sixteen appearance as the Vols finished with a record of 23-10 overall and 11-7 in SEC play. It was the furthest Tennessee has gone in the NCAA tournament since 2019. It was the program's 9th appearance in the Sweet 16 in history. Barnes has also won an SEC regular season and tournament title within the last five years. He is also a top 20 coach in all-time wins with 779 (T-18th with Lou Henson). Before Tennessee, he had stints at George Mason, Providence, Clemson, and Texas.
At the rate he is going, it seems reasonable that he will push to be a top ten winningest coach in five years. He also has finished with a top-ten recruiting class in three of the last four cycles. Which shows he can continue his success as he continues his career in Knoxville. "I'm thrilled that we can continue being a part of that positive momentum on campus," Barnes said. "I'm extremely blessed and don't take any of it for granted. It's an exciting time to be a Vol."
Tennessee basketball has become a perennial tournament and top-25 team with him at the helm. There is much room for more success in what could be Barnes' final contract at the University of Tennessee. Next season will be Barnes' 37th season head coaching in Division One college basketball. He has a deep team with a chance to repeat how deep the Vols went into the postseason last year. The resigning only secures more impact he will bring upon the Tennessee program.
Tennessee Volunteers HC Rick Barnes during the Sweet 16 against FAU on March 24th, 2023, in New York City, New York. (Photo by Caitie McMekin of the News Sentinel)
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