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Tennessee basketball: Ranking first five years of Vols coaches who lasted that long

By Caleb Calhoun

ST LOUIS, MO - MARCH 10: Rick Barnes the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers gives instructions to his team against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the semifinals of the 2018 SEC Basketball Tournament at Scottrade Center on March 10, 2018 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
ST LOUIS, MO - MARCH 10: Rick Barnes the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers gives instructions to his team against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the semifinals of the 2018 SEC Basketball Tournament at Scottrade Center on March 10, 2018 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images /

5. player. 534. Scouting Report. Rick Barnes. 105-64 (51-29). Pick Analysis. 2015-2020

Yearly record

2015-2016: 15-19 (6-12)

2016-2017: 16-16 (8-10)

2017-2018: 26-9 (13-5)

  • SEC Co-Championship; NCAA Round of 32

2018-2019: 31-6 (15-3)

  • NCAA Sweet 16

2019-2020: 17-14 (9-9)

*Postseason play unavailable in 2019-2020

He’s higher on the list in terms of the job he’s done with Tennessee basketball, and his future is even brighter. When it’s all done, Rick Barnes will be a top three coach within the history of the program. Heck, he probably already is. However, we are judging a coach by their first five years regardless of the situation they took over, and in Barnes’ case, he belongs at No. 5.

Now, again, taking into account what Barnes took over, it’s understandable why he’s down here. When he was hired, the Vols had just fired Donnie Tyndall after one year due to NCAA infractions. He had gone .500 that one season and was their second firing in four years due to such issues with the NCAA. Simply put, Barnes was destined to have a slow start.

A losing season and .500 season were his first two years. However, the high successes the next two years was enough to put him in the top half of this list, as during those two years he would make NCAA Tournament Round of 32 and then the Sweet 16, win the SEC one year, secure 30 wins another and take the program to its longest ever ranking at No. 1.

Even a 17-14 season this past year and 9-9 SEC record, making for only two winning seasons in the league, couldn’t derail that. It’s also worth noting that Barnes made two SEC Tournament championship games and has beaten the Kentucky Wildcats at least once every year, doing it twice in 2018 and 2019. These highs offset the lows of his first five years.

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