“If this is the end for him, he could author a magical finish with this group,” ESPN wrote, hinting at Rick Barnes’ retirement. See, we know that the end of Tennessee Vols head coach’s career is coming sooner rather than later. He’s at a point where retirement rumors are going to surface annually. Whether it happens this year or five years down the line, no one would be shocked.

And if Barnes does decide to call it quits, what better way to go out than with a national title? That elusive championship has remained just out of reach, but Tennessee’s off to a strong start in the tournament. Opinions on him have wavered over the years, but right now, he’s doing exactly what Vols fans need him to do—winning.

No. 2 seed Tennessee downed a pesky No. 15 seed Wofford 77-62 on Thursday in their March Madness opener. Chaz Lanier made sure his first NCAA Tournament game was one to remember. The lethal scorer dropped a legendary 29-point performance—one of the best in Tennessee basketball’s March Madness history. 

It was the third-most points in an NCAA Tournament game in UT history. He also tied the UT NCAA Tournament record with six made 3-pointers. Another big moment belonged to Zakai. He became the career assist leader in Tennessee program history, hitting the 716 mark. 

But here’s the thing. While most things went in their favor, one issue keeps haunting them. Tennessee has put an emphasis on rebounding lately, especially after getting dominated by Florida in the SEC Tournament title game. But Wofford gave them problems again. 

Both teams finished with 31 rebounds, and the Terriers actually out-rebounded Tennessee 11-3 to open the second half. Wofford grabbed 11 offensive rebounds, which is something Tennessee will need to fix moving forward. Meanwhile, their 71-year-old head coach, who just tied Bruce Pearl for the most 28+ win seasons for a HC in Tennessee basketball history, continues to receive mixed reactions from social media.

Rick Barnes sparks mixed reactions as Vols march on

One fan wrote, “All Rick Barnes had to do was change teams and shades of orange. It’s done wonders for him!” Barnes definitely has a thing for orange, doesn’t he? From Clemson to Texas to Tennessee, he’s made a name for himself at every stop. While his Texas tenure was marked by consistent NCAA Tournament appearances, at Tennessee, he built a powerhouse with multiple conference championships, national coach of the year honors, and sustained high rankings. 

Just last season, he took the Vols to their second-ever Elite Eight. If he retires here, it might just be the perfect ending. Another was on the bitter end, penning, “Rick Barnes has always been a fraud.” That’s harsh. But we can understand where this comes from. While Barnes has consistently led teams to the NCAA Tournament, his squads have often underperformed. At Texas, he made the tournament 16 times in 17 seasons but only advanced past the second or third round five times.

Even a 2012 CBSSports.com poll of nearly 100 coaches even named him the second “most overrated” coach in the country. One anonymous coach said, “All that talent, so much in there every year—and nothing to show for it.” Sure, he’s developed NBA stars like Kevin Durant but deep tournament runs not so much.

A third chimed in with a total different perspective, saying, “Nice to see Rick Barnes is still useless. Their inability to smoke teams that they should will come back to haunt them eventually. And I’m gonna laugh my a– off at it.”

Look, we saw that Tennessee was favored by 18.5 points against Wofford but didn’t exactly run them off the court. The Terriers cut the deficit to single digits with under 13 minutes left, making it a more competitive game than expected. Never mind that the Vols had an obvious advantage in size and quickness. The Terriers weren’t intimidated. 

And anyway, despite Vols success this season, there doesn’t seem to be a strong belief in the Volunteers. ESPN’s Jay Bilas has already predicted the Vols to lose in the Elite Eight, and not to forget Tennessee has never made the Final Four in program history. Can they change that this year? 

Another user opined, “Rick Barnes has established his identity as a defensive guru, but he also lets his guys cook. Has to be appealing in the portal seeing Chaz Lanier do this a year after Dalton Knecht did what he did.” The head coach is known for his defensive-minded coaching, and Tennessee has flexed those muscles all season.  Zakai Zeigler, for instance, was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year.

But Barnes also gives his players offensive freedom—which is why transfers thrive under him. North Florida transfer Lanier balled out in his first season with Vols (averaging 17.7 points), just like Dalton Knecht did last year after transferring in. That’s a big selling point for players in the portal looking for the right fit. We could expect more coming in this year. 

And finally, this one took a direct shot at Barnes’ past, stating, “In my humble opinion, Texas should have never fired Rick Barnes.” Looking back, did Texas pull the trigger too soon? It’s a fair question. Barnes is, after all, the winningest coach in program history with a 402-180 record. He led the Longhorns to 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, a Final Four, and three Big 12 titles.

Sure, his later years saw some disappointing exits, but Texas hasn’t exactly been a national powerhouse since he left. This year, the Longhorns finished 19-16, barely made the tournament, and lost in the First Four. Maybe keeping Barnes would have brought them more stability? 

But what’s done is done. For now, Barnes is chasing that elusive national title with Tennessee. His Vols will face the winner of No. 7 seed UCLA and No. 10 seed Utah State on Saturday. Let’s see how far this run takes them.