Tennessee extends men's basketball coach Rick Barnes' contract through 2027-28

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee has extended coach Rick Barnes' contract through the 2027-28 season, which should help ensure he finishes his career with the Volunteers.

Athletic director Danny White on Tuesday announced the extension that adds a year onto Barnes' contract with no change in his supplemental pay of $5.75 million for each of the final two seasons. White said it was a thrill to keep building the program that Barnes has developed.

“Our fans have responded to help create an electric atmosphere on game days, and I can’t wait to watch the Vols continue our quest for more championships under Rick’s leadership,” White said in a statement.

Barnes, who turned 69 in July, is going into his ninth season at Tennessee and 37th as a head coach. He is 779-406 in his career and currently 15th of all time for most Division I wins.

Under Barnes, Tennessee has made five straight NCAA Tournaments, won at least 25 games four times and has been a top four seed in the NCAA Tournament four times. The Vols have appeared in The Associated Press Top 25 under Barnes 38 times, spending four weeks ranked No. 1.

Tennessee has 144 wins since the start of the 2017-18 season, the most in the Southeastern Conference. The Vols tied the school record with 31 wins in 2019 and reached the Sweet 16. They are 108-22 at home in Barnes' eight seasons, going undefeated at home in the 2018-19 and 2021-22 seasons.

“I’m thrilled that we can continue being a part of that positive momentum on campus,” Barnes said. "I’m extremely blessed and don’t take any of it for granted. It’s an exciting time to be a Vol.”

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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll