'I'm just thankful and blessed': Rick Barnes looks back at UCLA's attempt to hire him in 2019

LEXINGTON — The interest Rick Barnes had in the UCLA job six years ago was nearly 50 years in the making, dating all the way back to Bill Johnson, a junior guard on the George Mason roster in 1980.

Barnes was hired as an assistant coach for the Patriots and, through Johnson, he established a connection with legendary UCLA coach John Wooden. 

“When Coach Wooden’s family would go on vacation,” Barnes said during his press conference Friday afternoon, “Bill would go out and stay with Coach.”

Barnes joined Johnson on a couple trips to see Wooden, spending time in Wooden’s home, talking basketball and going to dinner. 

“That was a wonderful experience for me,” Barnes said, “to get to talk to him. And he was in his 90s. And just hearing so many wonderful stories about his coaching career. So when UCLA called, it was certainly an honor because obviously of the respect growing up.”

Up Next: No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 7 UCLA, NCAA Tournament, Second Round

UCLA came calling in April 2019, after Barnes had just finished a 31-6 season at Tennessee, his fourth with the Vols, taking the program to the Sweet Sixteen as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins had fired Steve Alford a few months earlier and were interested in Barnes, the Naismith Men’s Coach of the Year.  

“When I got the call,” Barnes said, “obviously for a lot of reasons I listened and we met, and we talked about the possibility of that.” 

The two programs cross paths again Saturday night, when No. 2 Tennessee (28-7) faces No. 7 UCLA (23-10) in the second round in the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament. The game is scheduled fora. 9:40 p.m. Eastern Time start (TV: TBS/TruTV) at Rupp Arena.

What Barnes said Friday reiterated what he said six years ago, at a press conference in Knoxville announcing his decision to stay and the new contract he had agreed to with the Vols. 

All Barnes was looking for during the process was clarity.

“I remember a lot of prayer,” Barnes said, “because I felt really blessed to have had the opportunity to come to Tennessee, and I will forever be thankful to Randy Boyd and when we were in that part of the negotiation, the commitment that he made.”

Barnes was transparent at the time, saying he would have been the new coach at UCLA had the Bruins paid the buyout in his Tennessee contract.

“I look at it now,” Barnes continued, “and I thank God that he gave me the guidance to be where I am. And certainly UCLA hired a great, great basketball coach in Mick Cronin, and it’s worked out well for him.”

‘I’m just thankful and blessed that I’ve got the opportunity that I have at Tennessee’

Cronin is 138-63 in six seasons at UCLA, since being hired away from Cincinnati. 

He took the Bruins UCLA to the Final Four in 2021, during the COVID bubble tournament in Indianapolis, then to back-to-back Sweet Sixteens in 2022 and 2023.

Barnes was coming off a program-record 57 wins over the previous two seasons when UCLA tried to hire him out from under the Vols. But he’s been even better in the six years since. 

He’s taken Tennessee to an Elite Eight and Sweet Sixteen over the last two seasons and has won 106 games over the last four, with 27 wins in 2021, 25 wins in 2023, 27 wins last season and now 28 and counting this season. 

“I’m just thankful and blessed that I’ve got the opportunity that I have at Tennessee,” Barnes said. “And I’m glad it’s worked out for UCLA, too, because the people I met with were wonderful people and I don’t think there is any question they made the right hire.”