Despite no indication of Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes being ready to hang it up, that hasn’t stopped people outside the program from speculating when he may retire.
Barnes, now 71 years old after celebrating his birthday earlier this week, laid out what would have to happen for him to coach his last game. It doesn’t seem like there’s any thought of that being too soon, either.
In his appearance on Andy Katz’s podcast, he said that he believes God will let him know when it is time to retire. He also noted that time will likely be when he feels like he isn’t able to field a competitive team.
“If you want to be transparent, I think God has a plan for all of us,” Barnes said. “I will say this, there is no doubt in my mind that God is going to make it perfectly clear to me when my time is done. I’ve got, I think, the best situation of any coach in America. University of Tennessee right now has got the best leadership from the very top all the way down. I think I’m working for the best athletic director in the country. They’ve done everything they can to help us here. I think this is still one of the most underrated programs in the country. This is as orange-blooded as blue-blooded can be is what I would say.
“I still love — when I hang up with you here, we’re going to get out and practice. I’m excited about practice, I’ve been thinking about it since yesterday’s practice. I love the group of guys that we have. But I’ll tell you this, I’ll tell you exactly what I tell my coaches. I want to make sure that we get good enough players that we can compete every year, because this university, this state, our fanbase deserves that. If I don’t think we’re doing that, I think that would be my answer that it’s time to get away from it.”
More From RTI: College Basketball Analyst Tabs Tennessee as Final Four ‘Dark-Horse’ Due to Two Players
If having a competitive roster ends up being the deciding factor, Barnes may be sticking around for a while. Tennessee boasts a team that is projected to once again claim a reasonably high seeding in the NCAA Tournament, and Jon Rothstein just called them a ‘dark-horse’ to make the Final Four.
This is spearheaded by a pair of players who will likely only spend one year in Knoxville. The Vols bring in a transfer point guard in Ja’Kobi Gillespie, who will be out of eligibility following the season under current rules. Nate Ament also joins as a five-star freshman who will almost certainly enter the NBA draft following the season.
There are a handful of players who are likely to return and could make a difference this year, too. Forwards Jaylen Carey, Cade Phillips and J.P. Estrella all have additional eligibility. On the perimeter, Bishop Boswell is eligible to return.
There are a large number of first-year players outside of Ament who are joining the team, as well. Freshmen Amari Evans, DeWayne Brown II and Troy Henderson are all preparing for their first year. Tennessee also adds foreign players Clarence Massamba and Ethan Burg, who have professional experience outside the United States.
Currently, Tennessee has no commitments in the 2026 class, but the Vols are in the mix for some of the top rising talents.
