Tennessee signs Barnes to lifetime contract

Tennessee signed head coach Rick Barnes to a lifetime contract, the school's vice chancellor and director of athletics Danny White announced Thursday.

Barnes spent the last decade with the Volunteers, posting a 232-109 record. The school made seven NCAA Tournament appearances during that span, including back-to-back Elite Eight runs in the last two years.

Barnes also guided Tennessee to a pair of SEC regular-season titles and a conference tournament crown. The 71-year-old trails only Ray Mears on the Volunteers' all-time wins list.

Barnes won Naismith Coach of the Year honors in 2019 when the school was atop the AP poll for several weeks during the regular season.

"Rick has taken our program to unprecedented heights, and we are absolutely thrilled to have him continue coaching on Rocky Top for the rest of his career," White said in a statement.

"He has constructed this program the right way, achieving elite-level success on the court while also ensuring that all our players excel off the court."

Barnes' previous head coaching stops include George Mason, Providence, Clemson, and Texas. The four-time Big 12 Coach of the Year made his lone national semifinals appearance in 2003 when he led the Longhorns to the Final Four.

Barnes is the active Division I wins leader with 836 victories over 38 seasons.