The Texas Longhorns are now almost a week removed from their exit in the NCAA tournament, and the Texas faithful are eagerly awaiting the announcement on the future of head coach Rick Barnes. The majority of fans are calling for Barnes' head and rightfully so after failing to advance out of the round of 64 with what is arguably his most talented team ever. Steve Patterson and the media have been quiet to the point, but it is only a matter of time before the announcement is made either ending the Barnes' era granting him another year.
While there are some out there, like Jay Bilas, who believe that Barnes does not deserve the ax, it is hard to find a reason why he should remain the head coach. Rick Barnes has been the coach of Texas basketball for the last 17 years. He has found success winning over 400 games. However, he has never won a Big 12 title, and perennially has early exits in March. Outside of the one Final Four season in 2003, Texas basketball has consistently disappointed in postseason play. As for 2015, the Texas Longhorns were a team with no shortage of talent. A consensus preseason top 10 pick, the Longhorns were arguably the biggest disappointment in college basketball this year barely sneaking into the tournament before an early loss to Butler. With talent like Myles Turner, Isaiah Taylor, and Jonathan Holmes, there is no reason that this team should not have advanced to at least the Sweet 16.
Entering March Madness, the general consensus was that Texas needed to reach the Sweet 16 for Barnes to retain his job. This at least gave him a chance to prove his worth after signing a two year extension the previous summer. However, as we have become so accustomed too this year, the offense struggled, scoring just 48 points in a heart crushing loss.
According to Orangebloods.com, an unnamed source with knowledge of the situation stated that the Barnes decision will be announced by the end of the week. Many believe that the top choice to fill his shoes would be Gregg Marshall, and this may be the reason why there has been no rush to clear the air with Barnes. Marshall is still participating in March Madness and therefore cannot be contacted until Wichita State is eliminated. Whether there is truth to this rumor or it is pure speculation, it is clear that the Barnes era appears to be coming to a close. In fairness, Barnes did a lot to turn around a Texas program that was struggling mightily when he took over. However, when push comes to shove, he was never able to turn talent into success and that ultimately will be his downfall. It was a good run for Barnes and the Longhorns, but with another disappointing season, it is time to take the program in a new direction.
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