A decision has been made to release University of Texas basketball coach Rick Barnes from his position with the team, a post he held for 17 seasons. Barnes took the reins of the Texas program after Tom Penders, was released by the University in 1998. Barnes inherited a program devoid of a national championship and in need of direction.
The end of the Barnes era in Texas basketball culminated with Barnes’ Longhorns losing in the first-round of their 16th NCAA tournament appearance in the last 17 seasons. While the number of NCAA tournament appearances under Barnes is no laughing matter, the results tell a different story: in 16 appearances Texas only reached one Final Four, two Elite Eight’s and two Sweet 16’s. The Longhorns haven’t played beyond the round of 32 in seven years and have only won three conference championships during Barnes’ tenure (two of these conference championships were split with Kansas, 2006 & 2008). In 2015, the Longhorns were picked to finish second behind league powerhouse Kansas but injuries and inconsistent play contributed to a 20-14 record, good enough for only 7th place in the Big 12 standings.
The week after the Longhorns lost to Butler in their opening game of the NCAA Tournament, it was reported that Texas Athletic Director Steve Patterson would require Barnes to make staffing changes in order to keep his job.
Barnes a native of Hickory, NC and former Clemson head coach, guided NBA first-round draft picks T.J. Ford, LaMarcus Aldridge, D.J. Augustin, Kevin Durant, Chris Mihm, Corey Joseph and Tristan Thompson during his time at UT. Barnes also leaves Texas with a 402-180 overall record, as the winningest coach in Texas basketball history.
Last season Barnes made $2.55 million and a bonus of $125,000 for making the NCAA Tournament. He signed a contract extension through the 2019 season after last season and will receive a $1.75 million buyout if terminated before March 31, per his contract.
Names surfacing as potential replacements for Barnes’ position include Wichita State head coach Gregg Marshall, Virginia Commonwealth head coach Shaka Smart and Chris Mack of Xavier. Additionally, HornSports has learned that the Longhorns are very interested in Florida head coach Billy Donovan, who has won two national championships with the Gators.
