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Rick Barnes to Tennessee: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction
March 31, 2015
Days after Texas fired him, Rick Barnes will be moving to the SEC as the next head coach at the University of Tennessee.
According to ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman, Barnes and Tennessee have finalized the deal with a press conference coming Tuesday. The school also provided confirmation of the hire on Twitter.
Patrick Brown of The Times Free Press reported on Barnes' deal with the school:
Brown also reported that the buyout is $1 million for every year that's left on the deal.
Rumors of Barnes going to Tennessee have been floating around since Texas fired him Saturday, according to Sporting News' Mike DeCourcy. The 60-year-old had a successful tenure with the Longhorns, even though it was always marred by tournament disappointment.
Barnes led Texas to the NCAA tournament in 16 of his 17 seasons, including a run to the Final Four in 2003, but he failed to advance out of the first weekend the last six times in the Big Dance.
At his farewell press conference, Barnes made a pointed statement about the difference between hope and reality in sports: "You want the fairy-tale ending. You want it all to end right. Sometimes you don't get what you want in life."
Even though the dream never came true in Texas, Barnes will get another opportunity with a solid Tennessee program. He's a proven recruiter who is able to build talent as well as some of the best coaches in the country. He just has to put all of the pieces together to avoid disappointing finishes like he had with the Longhorns.
A fresh start can lift a weight off someone's shoulders. Barnes didn't fail at Texas, despite not winning a title. If his track record is any indication, he won't fail at Tennessee either.