As a general rule, you shouldn’t give lifetime contracts unless Nick Saban has won you six national titles. The Kentucky Wildcats dug themselves a huge hole when they gave one to John Calipari, and they were only bailed out when Calipari left for the Arkansas Razorbacks. It was a bad look. Tennessee basketball is the only exception.
The Vols seemingly violated the rule beyond what Kentucky did with the news that they gave Rick Barnes a lifetime contract on Thursday. Barnes has been head coach at UT for 10 years, the longest-tenured coach since Don DeVoe. He’s also easily the most successful coach in school history.
However, he’s never won a national championship and hasn’t even taken Tennessee basketball to the Final Four. Why, then, would the Vols do this? Well, it’s simple. Barnes being the most successful coach in school history is certainly part of it. Recruiting success is another part. The other part, though, is he’s 71.
Despite showing no signs of slowing down, given his age, Barnes is likely to go out on his own terms anyway at this point unless there’s a major scandal. He’s a proven commodity at least when it comes to his floor. Why not, then, go ahead and give him this contract?
This will let recruits know Danny White has no interest in moving on from Barnes until Barnes wants to move on, and it’s up to Barnes to let recruits know when he plans on leaving. He hasn’t slowed down in going after future lottery picks, such as Nate Ament this year, and this will keep him being able to do that.
As far as the contract itself goes, Barnes’ contract basically automatically extends another year annually, and he’s always got a three-year deal. Typically, you want five-year deals, but with this type of contract, three years is fine, and if Tennessee basketball fires him at any point, now, they’d owe 100 percent of his salary.
Now, Barnes still has to pay a buyout of $1 million if he leaves for another school, but he owes nothing if he retires. There’s a bit of good-faith operation going on with that move when it comes to recruits, but the sweetheart deal at least lets them be at ease that White, who isn’t afraid to pull the trigger, won’t do it here.
As good as the SEC has gotten in college basketball, finding a model of consistency like Barnes is hard to do. He may not win a national championship, but he has made Tennessee basketball perennial contenders. That was never the case in the past, and as a result, this contract is well-deserved.
