Rick Barnes will remain the coach of the Tennessee Volunteers for the remainder of his career, with the school announcing it has signed the 71-year-old Barnes to a lifetime contract on Thursday.
“Rick has taken our program to unprecedented heights, and we are absolutely thrilled to have him continue coaching on Rocky Top for the rest of his career,” Tennesse AD Danny White said in a statement. “He has constructed this program the right way, achieving elite-level success on the court while also ensuring that all our players excel off the court.”
Barnes’ new contract agreement means he will get an additional year added on every April 15 to keep his deal at three years into perpetuity, per 247Sports’ Ben McKee.
Tennessee hired Barnes in 2015 in the wake of Donnie Tyndall’s only season with the program — a season that ended with him being fired due to a slew of NCAA violations at his previous job. Barnes inherited a team that was coming off a 16-16 campaign, including a 7-11 record in SEC play.
In his first two years on the job, Barnes slowly built Tennessee back into a competitive basketball program. In his third season, Barnes led the Vols to a 26-9 record and an SEC regular season title. Since then, the Vols have reached the NCAA Tournament every year except 2020, won another regular season title and won the conference tournament.
Over the last two seasons, Barnes has coached Tennessee to back-to-back Elite Eight appearances, which is a first in program history. Since taking over in Knoxville, Barnes has transformed the Volunteers into a perennial threat on the national stage.
“I am incredibly thankful God brought me to the University of Tennessee 10-and-a-half years ago. It is an honor and a blessing to serve as the head basketball coach here,” Barnes said. “I have had the chance to meet so many wonderful people, both on and off campus, who have impacted my life. The Knoxville community means…
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