Vols’ new coach: ‘It’s gone great’
KNOXVILLE — The News Sentinel sat down with new Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes on Friday to discuss his transition from Texas.
Q: What’s it like settling into a new office for the first time since 1998?
A: It’s been such a fastpaced week here, really. It’s gone great because of the people here. They’ve made the transition as smooth as you could have possibly made it. I can’t believe the warm welcome … I can’t thank (UT athletic director) Dave Hart enough, because from the first conversation we had I got really excited.
Q: You have said you are not all that familiar with the current roster. Some coaches wouldn’t take a job if they had not researched that in great detail. Does that speak to this being a long-term decision?
A: Because of experience, and the fact I have confidence in our staff, we will adapt. We will certainly set certain things in place in terms of the foundation to how we want to play and what we want to build. But, we’re not going to ask anybody to do something they can’t do. Defense, that’s something everybody can do. It will start there. On the other end, that’s where we will have to adapt. We might be able to do the things we want to do with this team. We will look at them, evaluate them and everything. Hopefully we will have some pieces. We will see what we can do.
Q: How did your individual meetings with the players go?
A: I thought they were great, and I really enjoyed the first time face to face with them, asking them how they felt, and where they were, and realizing it’s been tough. It (the coaching change) was tough, obviously. But it is what it is. The first thing I told them is how grateful and blessed I am to have this opportunity. And I want them to see it the same way. Together, let’s put both feet in and do something special.
Q: How much did knowing that the Tennessee job could come open affect how things played out between you and Texas?
A: I wanted to finish the job that we started (at Texas). And I’ve been coaching long enough to know that, if you go back and look, there are a lot of programs that go up and down. I realize that. And I know why. We had it fixed. It’s fixed. This year was a year where a lot of things went wrong for us, but yet there was no doubt I wanted to do that. Even the week leading up, people would call. But again, I was told I was coming back. That (the Tennessee job) didn’t factor in.
Q: How did the Tennessee job enter the realm of possibility?
A: Some people had called me, unofficially, people that had nothing to do with it and said, “Hey, if that should happen” … Actually, one of my former players called me. Admiral Schofield (one of Tennessee’s 2015 signees), his AAU coach played for me at Providence. He had called me and said he heard rumors. Dickey Simpkins, he’s a great guy. He and I had a great talk. He was actually one of the guys who said, “When you left Providence you told me, sometimes it’s the right thing to do.” He said, “If it happens, you all think about it.”
Q: You are Tennessee’s third coach in three seasons. Hart stressed the need for stability. How much did that topic come up in the interview process?
A: I don’t know if there is any coach coming into the situation who knew as much about Tennessee as I did. I had a picture of my mind in Tennessee from 1974. Ernie and Bernie. Ray Mears. I had it in my head. But it would have never developed if it wasn’t for Dave Hart. From the time we talked — stability. I would have worked for him on a handshake. ... He (Hart) knows where I am right now. This is it. I want to do it. One, because, I’m forever grateful he was there. But I believe in it. I believe in the University of Tennessee.
Q: Two of the last three Tennessee coaches, Bruce Pearl and Donnie Tyndall, were fired for NCAA wrongdoing. You have a clean record in that department. How important is that to your legacy?
A: It goes back to mentors. I remember the job at George Mason. My athletic director told me, “We want to win. But not at all costs.” … The very first time I sat down with (former Texas) athletic director DeLoss Dodds, I asked him, “What are you looking for in your basketball coach?” He said, first and foremost — and I’ve used this term — that we want to protect the integrity of the university. And we want to win. But when we win, we want to know we’ve won it. Dave (Hart), (Tennessee) chancellor (Jimmy) Cheek, same thing. Every fan wants to win. But I’m going to tell you, whether people want to hear it or not, the truth is the athletic department at any university is not bigger than the university. I’ve had bosses that made that very clear to me.
Q: You have already set the goal of making the NCAA tournament this season. That’s not too bold?
A: I don’t use the word rebuilding ... I relate “rebuilding” to saying “we can’t win right now.” I don’t think you can ever expect players to work as hard as you want them to work and not give them the hope, desire, passion, motivation to say, “Hey for 40 minutes, anything can happen.” They’ve gotta go into the game knowing regardless of what outside people might think, you don’t let them set your expectations. It’s gotta come from within … I would never tell my team, “Look, guys we can’t make the tournament this year. We can’t.” I can’t do that. ... Our goal every year will be to get in that tournament and play for it.
Q: What is your message to Tennessee fans in week one?
A: I’m excited because of the energy that I feel. I want our basketball program to mirror this great university. That’s what I want. I want our players and everyone involved with it to know we are representing a great university. We want to go out every day and do everything we can to make it the best we can make it.