Head coach Rick Barnes has signed a “lifetime contract” to remain the Tennessee basketball coach for the remainder of his career, athletic director Danny White shared on the Mike Keith Show Thursday. Barnes is entering his 11th year as the Vols’ head coach and has led Tennessee basketball through its best decade in program history.
“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,” 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.”
What exactly does a lifetime contract mean? Barnes current contract runs through the 2027-28 season. Every year that Barnes is still the coach and has not retired, Tennessee extends his contract one extra-year. This means Barnes contract will always have three years remaining on it at all times.
The new deal includes a slight raise for Barnes. The veteran head coach will now make $6 million a year. Under his current contract, Barnes was going to make $5.9 million for this coming season with Tennessee bumping his salary to $6 million annually for the final two years of his prior contract.
The bonus structure also remains the same in Barnes’ contract. A year ago, Barnes made $1.3 million in bonuses. Barnes earned $800,000 for Tennessee making the Elite Eight, $400,00 for Tennessee finishing in the top five of the final AP Poll and $100,000 for the team finishing with a APR 980 or greater.
“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 in a statement. “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 so much not just to me, but to my entire family.
“I am beyond grateful to Randy Boyd, Donde Plowman and Danny White for their continued belief in our program. Tennessee basketball would not be where it is today without the consistent efforts of so many players, coaches and staff members whom I am forever indebted to. Their relentless dedication and the unrivaled support of Vol Nation are truly why we have been so successful.”
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The buyout structure also does not change in this new contract. If Tennessee fires Barnes without cause they owe him whatever is left on his contract before April 15, 2028. If the Vols fire Barnes after that date, they do not owe him any money unless they restructure the contract again.
The slight raise to $6 million annually ties Barnes with Florida’s Todd Golden as the seventh highest paid coach in men’s college basketball. Auburn’s Bruce Pearl, UCLA’s Mick Cronin, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, UConn’s Dan Hurley, Arkansas’ John Calipari and Kansas’ Bill Self all make more annually than Barnes.
Barnes has guided Tennessee through the most successful stretch in program history. The Vols have made the NCAA Tournament seven times in Barnes’ 10 years as head coach, making four trips to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament— twice losing in the Sweet 16 and twice losing in the Elite Eight.
The Vols have also won the SEC Regular-Season Championship twice under Barnes’ leadership including an outright title in 2024 and won the 2022 SEC Tournament.
Perhaps the most important part of Barnes’ tenure at Tennessee is the way he’s adapted to the changing college basketball landscape. While many older coaches have retired in recent years, the 71-year old Barnes has only gotten better. The Vols have ranked in the top 25 of the AP Poll every week the last four seasons, have made the Elite Eight each of the last two years and made the Sweet 16 the year prior.
Expectations are high for Tennessee again this season. The Vols lost many significant pieces from last season’s Elite Eight team but return the bulk of their front court and added All-Big 10 point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie as well as five-star wing Nate Ament to the roster this offseason.
