Though Tennessee’s basketball season ended in disappointment, fans, media and opposite coaches are recognizing the job that Rick Barnes did with this roster. Barnes was named the Naismith Coach of the Year on Sunday, adding that award to his Coach of the Year honors that he received from the United States Basketball Writers Association last week.
Barnes took home the award over Texas Tech’s Chris Beard, Virginia’s Tony Bennett and Houston’s Kelvin Sampson.
“Rick Barnes has built an incredible program at Tennessee, and his coaching performance this season was worthy of the top award in college basketball, the Werner Ladder Naismith Trophy Men’s Coach of the Year,” said Eric Oberman, executive director of the Atlanta Tipoff Club.