Tennessee basketball: Rick Barnes magic

Veteran coaching

That Tennessee basketball head coach Rick Barnes knew what to do is not a surprise. That he pulled it off is amazing.

It’s not like Barnes hasn’t been around the block. In 31 years as a head coach, Barnes has had one losing season, 22 NCAA Tourney teams – one reaching the final four, and four conference Championships.

Barnes can not only coach, he knows where the buttons are and when to push them. On January second, Tennessee lost to Auburn. Barnes knew how to make the most of a bad loss and challenged his players publicly and privately. The Volunteers promptly reeled off six straight wins.

Now, the Tennessee basketball team predicted to finish 13 in the SEC will open the SEC tournament as the number two seed and ranked number 13 in the country.

Hearing them celebrate, that’s the best part

Rick Barnes is the SEC Coach of the year, hands down, and it doesn’t take an FBI investigation to see why, it only takes quick peek at the Tennessee basketball team. But if a travesty occurs, Rick Barnes has his reward.

Next: Tennessee football in rebuild mode

“Walking into the locker room, they were pretty quiet and I know why because they threw all that water all over me. Hearing them celebrate, that’s the best part. It really is.”