Rick Barnes expected to step down as Texas' head coach

[UTVolCountry]

She from east Tennessee?

I'm not really sure man

 

[longhorn718]

I believe his wife is from Tennessee

Ah yes, I think she's a Vol alumna.

 

[lilchi721]

He certainly knows A&M and Missouri well from the old Big 12 days.

 

[ralphiewvu]

@goodmanESPN Texas top candidates are Gregg Marshall and Shaka Smart--and both have heavy interest in the opening, sources told Espin

Damn who is the better hire? For me I'd say Shaka over Marshall, but to each their own. Both are fantastic coaches.

 

[Texas Jefe]

Damn who is the better hire? For me I'd say Shaka over Marshall, but to each their own. Both are fantastic coaches.

As an alum, I'd be thrilled with either. Probably end up getting neither...

 

[Texas Jefe]

Heard interesting stuff on radio today, that I didnt know.

Said Marshall is a tough guy: Coaches mean, tells fans to cheer mean. Has a bunch of false teeth, lost em fighting when he played ball...not part of any coaching tree, says he's 'clawed and scratched for everything I got'...has a chip on his shoulder...does not have many friends, and is okay with that.


Said Smart is 37, looks 27 and is wise as 57...accepted into Yale, Princeton and Harvard...everyone likes him...relationships are key for him...lost his dad as a kid, then went off to school, where his mentor and father figure coach left for another job- was toughest time of his life. Said that may be why he has turned jobs down in past, that he doesnt want to leave his players in lurch...often meditates with players before games to help them overcome any stress...


Basically, they sound like complete opposites.

 

[longhorn718]

Thanks for that info, @Texas Jefe. From that info, I think I'm leaning towards Smart since it would be a bigger departure for the program. Isn't Barnes a known hardass and yeller? Then again, we all saw where Mack's friends-first approach got us over time. Hmmm...

 

[Texas Jefe]

Thanks for that info, @Texas Jefe. From that info, I think I'm leaning towards Smart since it would be a bigger departure for the program. Isn't Barnes a known hardass and yeller? Then again, we all saw where Mack's friends-first approach got us over time. Hmmm...

yes, I agree. Kind of glad I dont have to make a decision like this.

Also, wondering if a younger, more hip coach could help with the student body, get them more involved in games. But think a new arena, on campus, would help that the most.

 

[Texas Jefe]

Saw a great tweet today:

Rick Barnes is the "player to be named later" in the Davy Crockett-to-Texas trade.

 

[Hornsstampede2.0]

I am worried Tennessee comes out ahead on this deal.
Barnes is perfect for that school and its more reasonable expectations in Basketball.

Texas is deluding itself in its basketbal esteem.
I can understand us needing excellence in football...and making drastic changes after Mack Brown slipped a bit.

Mediocre Football is unacceptable. The last 5 years hae been tiresome.
Coaches deserve their walking papers if they cannot win football games in Austin.

But, I am not sure Texas is really going to do much better than Barnes in hoops.

 

[longhorn718]

But, I am not sure Texas is really going to do much better than Barnes in hoops.

Well, no, we never will if we're willing to accept that mediocrity is okay. Time will tell if your statement is correct, but we need to run the experiment before declaring the findings. Even if you're right, I really don't mind the program to keep on striving to get better.

 

[GoldRusher]

well, part of the problem is the building of a new basketball arena. The old Erwin center, which hosts everthing from Ice Capades, Elton John, to class registration for UT students, will be bulldozed to make way for the new UT Medical center. They need a new basketball facility in a bad way, even if it wasnt going to be bulldozed.

They want 70 million in donations before construction starts, and Patterson got the feeling the donations wouldnt come in if Barnes stayed.

Thus they need a splash hire, if just for donations.

Didnt realize that, I thought I had heard that it was a done deal.

 

[Clayton]

That's pretty comparable to what next tier "basketball schools" like Missouri, Georgetown, Indiana, St Johns, Arkansas etc etc have done in the last 17 years

Mizzou's basketball program is dead for the foreseeable future. We've pretty much lost every single Haith recruit except for one and we have a lame duck coach at this point. The new AD hired is also a football guy.

Barnes was never an elite coach but he was a really good one. Its hard to restock one and done talent unless you can consistently get that talent. When Texas did get that talent, they were pretty solid. Since then, they've just been an above average school with tenacity.

I would gladly take Barnes at Mizzou

 

[GenJac]

OK hire. He is a average coach, good guy, will bring stability to the program, run a clean program.

I doubt he will ever win the SEC or make a final four. He will stay about 5 years and then retire. the UT program should be in decent shape.

 

[TxHeat]

Well come on down Shaka..welcome to Austin. I guess he didn't think it was a 'lateral' move.