LEXINGTON, Ky. — Tennessee coach Rick Barnes has led Vol basketball to their best run in the modern era including seven straight trips to the NCAA Tournament, multiple SEC titles and three Sweet 16 appearances. But the back half of Barnes’ run at Tennessee almost didn’t happen.
Six years ago, UCLA pursued Barnes as they looked to replace head coach Steve Alford. Barnes was a serious candidate for the job before eventually deciding to stay at Tennessee. Ahead of the Vols’ matchup with UCLA in the Round of 32 Saturday night, Barnes discussed his role in the Bruins’ 2019 coaching search.
“We talked about the possibility of that,” Barnes said of UCLA pursuing him for its head coach opening. “And I just did a radio interview and they asked what I remember most. I remember a lot of prayer. Because I felt really blessed to have had the opportunity to come to Tennessee, and I will forever be thankful to Randy Boyd and when we were in that part of the negotiation, the commitment that he made. At the time — again, I look at it now and I thank God that he gave me the guidance to be where I am.”
Tennessee was coming off two strong seasons where they combined to win 57 games, a share of the SEC Regular-Season Championship in 2018 and a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2019.
UCLA came hard after Barnes, offering him a contract that would pay the veteran head coach over $5 million a season. But Tennessee stepped up to the table and gave Barnes a contract extension that boosted his yearly salary from $3.5 million to $5.2 million.
Despite the hefty salary boost at Tennessee, Barnes said at the time that if UCLA would have paid his Tennessee buyout that he likely would have left for Knoxville for Los Angeles.
“I think I would have been the coach at UCLA (paid the buyout),” Barnes said at the time. “I really felt at that time that that’s what would have happened … I asked God for total clarity, and when they came back with their decision, I knew that I’m not supposed to be the coach at UCLA.
“As soon as that happened, I’m like, ‘okay, I’m good with this,’ because I felt like, again, that God had made it crystal clear that I needed to be at the University of Tennessee.”
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The veteran Tennessee coach was close to legendary UCLA head coach John Wooden in the final years of his life and Barnes grew up with an infinity for UCLA basketball that made leaving Tennessee for Westwood a real possibility.
“I went out a couple times. And my son was living out there, and we had a chance to go to Coach’s (Wooden) home and spend time in his home with him and talk basketball. Also a number of times I would go to dinner with him,” Barnes said on Friday. “That was a wonderful experience for me, to get to talk to him, and he was in his 90s. And just hearing so many wonderful stories about his coaching career.
“So when UCLA called, it was certainly an honor because obviously of the respect growing up. I remember staying up late at night in the ’60s when Dick Enberg would come on at 11:30 on east coast time. And they might play once a year. And watching those games and the great run he put together. But when I got the call, obviously for a lot of reasons I listened.”
After Barnes turned UCLA down, the Bruins went and hired Cincinnati’s Mick Cronin to replace Alford. Cronin has led UCLA to the NCAA Tournament four times in his six seasons including three trips to the Sweet 16 and a trip to the 2021 Final Four.
UCLA missed the NCAA Tournament last season but is back in the Big Dance as a seven-seed this season. The Bruins dominated 10-seed Utah State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday to set up the Round of 32 matchup against Tennessee.
“Certainly UCLA hired a great, great basketball coach in Mick Cronin, and it’s worked out well for him,” Barnes said. “I’m just, again, thankful and blessed that I’ve got the opportunity that I have at Tennessee. And I’m glad it’s worked out for UCLA, too, because the people I met with were wonderful people and, again, I don’t think there is any question they made the right hire.”’
Tipoff between Tennessee and UCLA is at 9:40 p.m. ET on Saturday night. TBS and TruTv are both broadcasting the game.
