Rick Barnes: 'I Think I Would Have Been' UCLA HC If Buyout Was Resolved

Tennessee fans excited to still have Rick Barnes as head basketball coach should thank the buyout clause in his contract with the school. 

Per Mike Wilson of the Knoxville News Sentinel, Barnes admitted he thinks he "would have been the coach at UCLA" if his buyout had been settled. 

Per Evan Daniels of 247Sports, Barnes emerged as a "serious candidate" for UCLA's head coaching job earlier this month. 

On April 8, ESPN's Chris Low reported Barnes turned down an offer of $5 million per year from the Bruins to sign a new deal at Tennessee. 

Daniels noted Barnes' buyout from Tennessee was $5 million as part of the extension he signed with the school in September 2018. That deal made him the second-highest paid head coach in the SEC at $3.25 million, behind Kentucky's John Calipari ($9.276 million).  

The Bruins ultimately hired Mick Cronin away from Cincinnati for six years and $24 million, per ESPN's Jeff Borzello.

Barnes just finished his fourth season with the Volunteers. They tied the school single-season record with 31 wins and advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in five years in 2018-19.