No one’s safe from getting roasted when Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes is around.
From jokes on players and coaches behind closed doors to openly poking fun at the media on occassion, Barnes has always been known for enjoying a bit of playful banter.
Tennessee’s Big Orange Caravan event made it’s first tour stop in Memphis on Tuesday, giving fans the opportunity to meet with and hear from AD Danny White, Voice of the Vols Mike Keith, head football coach Josh Heupel, head women’s basketball coach Kim Caldwell, and, of course, Rick Barnes.
While speaking to the audience about five-star signee Nate Ament, Barnes began to turn his attention to Heupel. Barnes loaded up with a big one, teasing that he and his staff could get Heupel into great shape if he had any eligibility left.
WATE’s Reece Van Haaften posted the video X:
Rick Barnes and Josh Heupel had a little fun with each other at the Big Orange Caravan in Memphis.
“We pride ourselves most of all of taking guys who are out of shape and getting them in shape… Does Josh (Heupel) have any more eligibility?” #Vols pic.twitter.com/NsJ2Ppj74m
— Reece Van Haaften (@Reece_VH) April 30, 2025
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“Understand this,” Barnes said, setting up his punchline. “We pride ourselves, most of all, on taking guys that are out of shape and getting them in shape. So I literally woke up the other night and called my assistant and said, ‘Does Josh have any more eligibility?’ Because he tells everybody he’s the best shooter on campus.”
“You’ve seen it!” Heupel responded, sitting next to a pretty good three-point shooter in Caldwell, a former player for Glenville State.
Barnes’ joke reminds of a story that VFL Grant Williams told about his college head coach’s conditioning workload on the Run Your Race podcast with Theo Pinson in July 2023. Williams said that his “Welcome to College” moment didn’t come in the paint or a drive, but from Barnes’ conditioning plans.
“[A] 17 is basically 17 sideline touches in a minute,” Williams said on the show. “And they’re hard! Imagine the chunky kid trying to do that when he first gets to campus. Coach Barnes is historically known for destroying his players in practice, you know? Historically. Ask [Kevin Durant], ask PJ – He made PJ Tucker cry, he made KD basically tear up and everything, he’s known for that.”
Williams’ story goes on for over eight minutes and can be found below:
