Coach Barnes talked about it.
For a few weeks now, the Rick Barnes retirement rumblings have been getting a little bit louder. The 70-year-old coach is currently attempting to make his second straight Elite Eight at Tennessee with hopes of taking the program to its first Final Four in school history.
Barnes has had a handful of shots at it, and this group certainly ranks near the top of his best chances to get that done. However, as we all know, nothing ends quite as quickly as a basketball season does. Every night in the NCAA Tournament could be the last of your season.
There’s no time off either — it’s straight to the transfer portal to reload for next season. Does Barnes want to run it back again? He was asked that question today in his Sweet 16 presser and gave a pretty lengthy answer.
“No, I haven’t thought about it. You know what? My last press conference at Texas, when I was fired, the last question someone asked me was, do you think you’ll coach again.
And I had already accepted the University of Tennessee job. I made the comment, yeah, probably sooner than you think. And I literally walked out of that press conference, got on a plane and went to Knoxville.
At the time, when something like that happens, the movement parts, in/out, you’re somewhat numb. But I made the comment that, the athletic director at the time, Steve Patterson, fired me. He didn’t really fire me; he just carried out what God wanted him to do because I truly believe that God brought me to Knoxville for a reason.
And everything that I do I want to live on that platform. It’s the most important thing to me. It’s more important than winning that game tomorrow. And I think God will make it perfectly clear when he wants me to step down and my time will be up. But it’s not now.
If it is, I don’t feel that. But I love coaching basketball. I love being around it. I know right now how hard we’re working right now. We’ve already had a young man on campus after we got back Saturday, Sunday, we had a young man on campus that committed to us. We’re already planning to have a team next year. I fully plan to be a part of it.
And, again, I think when my time’s up, I truly believe God will make it clear to me where he wants me to go next and do next. But I haven’t thought about that in the least bit.
I think when that happened when that rumor started, I made a comment about Zakai, I said it would be hard coaching without a guy like that. I meant that, but I could have said that about my first point guard at George Mason 30 some years ago Amp Davis. I loved coaching him.
And I think after that, people thought because I’m a young guy now, that it might be my last year. But the fact is, I’ve put it all in God’s hands. I’ll know because he’ll make it clear to me.”
Things can change based on the results over the next several days, but Barnes sounds like a guy ready to run it back at least one more time.
As we’ve noted for weeks now, nobody would blame Barnes if he hung it up after this year. Two four years players — two players near and dear to his heart — Zakai Zeigler and Jahmai Mashack will exit following the end of the season. They’ll move on with the likes of Chaz Lanier, Igor Milicic, Jordan Gainey and Darlinstone Dubar.
It will be a near complete reload for Barnes this offseason, but it sure sounds like he’s up for the challenge.