Former Calipari Assistant Tony Barbee Named MAC Coach of the Year

MACtion has been good to Tony Barbee. The long-time John Calipari disciple was named MAC Coach of the Year following his third season at Central Michigan.

Rebuilding a MAC program isn’t for the faint of heart. Barbee inherited a program that went 7-17 the year prior. He combined for 17 wins over his first two seasons before a breakthrough in 2023-24.

Central Michigan was picked to finish dead last in the MAC. The Chips only had four returners and a dozen newcomers, but found a way to get into the thick of the race for the MAC regular season title. Barbee guided Central Michigan to an 18-13 record, 12-6 in league play. They were only two games back from Toledo, who won their fourth straight MAC regular season title.

Tony Barbee played college basketball for John Calipari at UMass, then stuck around the program for a few years as a graduate assistant. He teamed back up with Calipari at Memphis and climbed the coaching ladder to UTEP. Barbee logged a pair of 20-win seasons in El Paso, including a Top 25 appearance and a C-USA Championship in 2010.

After making a pitstop in the NCAA Tournament, he took over the Auburn basketball program. Things did not go well on The Plains for Barbee. He logged zero winning seasons at Auburn, sending him back to John Calipari’s staff. He spent seven years on the staff at Kentucky before landing on his feet at Central Michigan.

Central Michigan begins its quest for an NCAA Tournament berth tomorrow in Cleveland. The No. 4 seed in the MAC Tournament, the Chips will take on Bowling Green at approximately 1:30 pm EST on ESPN+.

Want more coverage of the Cats? Join the KSR Club.

KSR has been delivering UK Sports news in the most ridiculous manner for almost two decades. Now, you can get even more coverage of the Cats with KSR+. With college basketball in full swing and spring football approaching, now is the perfect time to join our online community. Subscribe now for premium articles, in-depth scouting reports, inside intel, bonus recruiting coverage, and access to KSBoard, our message board featuring thousands of Kentucky fans around the globe. Just $1 gets you one month of access. Come join the club.