Rick Barnes finally makes his return to the Erwin Center

When it comes to men’s basketball coaches, no one achieved more on the hardwood at Texas than Rick Barnes. Saturday, seven years after his dismissal, Barnes returns to Austin to try and top his old UT with his new UT — No. 18 Tennessee — as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge.

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“As we all know, he’s the all time winningest coach in Texas basketball history,” current Texas head coach Chris Beard said Thursday. “Won 70 percent of his games in 17 seasons here. In those 17 seasons, went to the NCAA Tournament 16 times, really a run unparalleled in college basketball. Not Texas basketball, but college basketball.”

Most of the highest heights in program history came under Barnes’ watch. The Longhorns reached five Sweet 16s, three Elite Eights, and the program’s third Final Four appearance in 2003.

“The opportunity to be able to welcome him back in person means a lot,” TJ Ford, who won the 2003 Naismith Award and was on the Final Four team, told Inside Texas’ Gerry Hamilton. “He created a lot of history for Austin, and the state. The impact he had on the brand of Texas basketball, and laying the foundation to put them on an elite level should be remembered. It’s a great honor to be able to see him get the respect that he deserves.” 

When game time arrives, it’ll be all business for Barnes and the Volunteers. But until then, there will be a lot of emotions for Texas’ best as he plays one more game in the Erwin Center.

Saturday. 7PM. Frank Erwin Center.

The Return of the legendary Rick Barnes 🤘#UniteTheFamily pic.twitter.com/alWm82xBMp

— Texas Men's Basketball (@TexasMBB) January 27, 2022

“I think tomorrow when we go to shootaround and I walk down the ramp to head into the Erwin Center, it’ll probably hit me more,” Barnes said Friday. “I just have so many fond memories of Austin and Texas… but we’re coming to play a basketball game. We will do everything that we have to to keep our guys on the schedule we would keep whether or not we were on our way to play a conference game against Texas A&M.”

Barnes’ return comes seven years after a rough breakup. Two years removed from his only season at Texas in which he didn’t make the NCAA Tournament, then-athletic director Steve Patterson told Barnes he needed to fire his assistant coaches.

Barnes wouldn’t do it, so Patterson forced Barnes out. In the lead up to his farewell press conference, Barnes admitted Friday he had returned phone calls from the Volunteers. And after that press conference was over, he knew his next stop would be Knoxville, Tenn.

“It’s been seven great years here with people and at a great university, and we have just unbelievable leadership here,” Barnes said about Rocky Top. “It’s just incredible. I’m blessed and fortunate to land where I landed.”

That 2015 exit rubbed Beard, then in the midst of moving from Angelo State to Little Rock, the wrong way. Which is why on Thursday, he expressed how happy he was to be able to thank Barnes for his almost two decades in Austin.

“I’ve said it before but in my personal opinion, I’m only one small person in the whole operation here, but in my personal opinion, (Barnes) didn’t get the exit from Texas that he deserved,” Beard said. “We welcome this game back, and we can’t wait to see coach and just thank him for everything he did for Texas basketball. I know I don’t even need to say that, but I just want to take pride in being one of those people in the Erwin Center that will show great appreciation, to make sure we show the class that our program is all about at Texas, and our fanbase, and our university, and our city.”

Two of Beard’s current assistants, Chris Ogden and Rodney Terry, worked for Barnes at various junctures during his tenure in Austin. Ogden even played for Barnes from 1999-2003. Some of the experiences from their time with Barnes still resonate with them today.

“Pretty quickly, once you jump over to the other side you realize some of the things you thought he was crazy for when you were a player makes sense now,” Ogden said Thursday.

Said Terry: “He gave you an opportunity to wear many hats and be a part of… game prep, working with the media, doing all different types of things that were going to prepare you to be a head coach. He also placed emphasis on how important building a staff and putting a staff together was for you in being a head coach.”

Barnes mentioned Friday that several former players, including Ford, James Thomas, and Matt Hill among several others, reached out to him ahead of his return.

Up until tip-off, it’ll be a celebration of Barnes and his tenure as the Erwin Center hosts one of its final few Longhorn basketball games.

“I know when they introduce this really good Tennessee team, I’ll be right there with everyone else thanking Coach Barnes in the appropriate way,” Beard said.

The pleasantries may end when the ball is in the air, but Texas will finally honor the coach who brought the program to its historical peak.

“17 years there, I loved it,” Barnes said. “I really did.”