Barnes Named a Naismith Hall of Fame First-Time Nominee

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – University of Tennessee head men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes is a first-time nominee for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, as announced Thursday on ESPN.

Barnes is among just 15 first-time North American nominees, joining a select group that includes names such as Vince Carter, Mike Gminski, Bill Laimbeer and the 2008 U.S. Olympic Redeem Team.

“I feel incredibly blessed to be nominated for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the pinnacle of our sport,” Barnes said. “This distinction, though, is not just about me, but more about all the wonderful people who have impacted me throughout my coaching journey the last four-plus decades. I want to thank every coach, staff member, administrator, fan and friend who has supported me and the programs I’ve had the joy of working for. But most of all, I want to thank the players I’ve had the privilege of coaching, as well as my family for their unconditional love and for keeping me focused on the Lord and living for the glory of His kingdom.”

Now in his 44th consecutive year as a college basketball coach, including his 37th in a row at the helm of a program, Barnes is one of the most successful coaches in the history of the sport. His 787 victories place him No. 15 all-time among Division I head coaches (min. five years in DI), including second among such active coaches.

Barnes owns 27 NCAA Tournament appearances, tied with Lute Olson and Dean Smith for fifth-most all-time and two more than any other active DI head coach. The only individuals with more than him are Mike Krzyzewski (36), Jim Boeheim (35), Roy Williams (30) and Bob Knight (28). His 17 consecutive NCAA bids from 1996-2012 rank as the seventh-long streak ever at the DI level.

A native of Hickory, N.C., Barnes is one of just 11 coaches—only three are active—ever to take four schools to the DI NCAA Tournament and one of 12 coaches, including those who manned the sidelines prior to tournament expansion, to lead three programs to the Sweet 16.

Barnes is among only 24 coaches to win 100-plus games at three DI schools. He joins John Calipari, Frank McGuire, Bruce Pearl, Rick Pitino, Eddie Sutton and Roy Williams as the lone seven individuals to lead two different DI programs to an AP No. 1 national ranking.

In 2019, Barnes won both the Naismith Coach of the Year Award and the USBWA Henry Iba Coach of the Year Award. The prior year, he was the runner-up for the former designation and claimed the…