On February 14, Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes surpassed a lofty milestone.
Barnes, 71, earned his 250th win as head coach of the Vols, who defeated LSU 73-63 at Food City Center.
“I thank God for this opportunity,” he said. “When I came here, people told me I was going to retire here. I wanted to coach basketball. I love coaching. I have a great staff and I love everything we have here.”
Barnes totaled 854 wins in a 39-year career. He is the ninth coach to win 250 or more games at two Division I schools, joining current coaches Dana Altman (Oregon State) and Kelvin Sampson (Houston). Barnes had 402 wins at Texas before coming to Tennessee in 2015.
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He also served as head coach at George Mason University, Providence University and Clemson University.
“I grew up three hours away from here, but I didn’t know the love for Tennessee basketball,” the Hickory, N.C., native said. “I’m blessed. I truly believe God brought me here for a reason. And I’m grateful for that. It’s hard to believe it’s been 11 years.”
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. e-mail: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com
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This article originally appeared in the Knoxville News-Sentinel: Rick Barnes on Tennessee basketball’s 250th win
