UT Coach Rick Barnes A Nominee For Hall Of Fame

Recently, Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes entered elite company when he moved into 15th place on the all-time wins list in college basketball. Barnes is now among a short list being considered for induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. He is one of 36 nominees in the North America nominee category. Other nominees in that category include the 2008 U.S. Men’s Olympic Basketball team, eight-time NBA All-Star Vince Carter, and two-time NBA Champion Bill Laimbeer. Barnes is among 15 first time nominees.

Accolades like these tend to start coming in when you have spent 44 years in coaching and all but seven of those as a head coach. Rick Barnes is the winningest coach in the history of the University of Texas and no other SEC team has had as many regular season and postseason wins then Tennessee since Barnes became coach in 2015.

Finalists to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame are to be announced on Friday, Feb. 16 during NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis. The Class of 2024 will be revealed in a nationally televised broadcast on Saturday, April 6 during the NCAA Final Four in Phoenix, Arizona.

The enshrinement ceremony will be held on Saturday, Aug. 17.