Tennessee: Vols coach Rick Barnes wins the prestigious Pat Summitt Lifetime Achievement Award

Rick Barnes has added a prestigious award to his list of accolades. On Monday, Tennessee basketball announced that the coach received the Pat Summitt Lifetime Achievement Award.

"Coach Barnes has been recognized by the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame as the winner of the prestigious Pat Summitt Lifetime Achievement Award," the caption read. "The award is presented in response to his remarkable impact on UT's culture, character and development."

The Pat Summitt Lifetime Achievement Award is given out to one individual a year and is presented by the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in honor of legendary Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt.

Barnes has won the award after spending the last decade with the Volunteers and guiding the team to seven NCAA tournament appearances. Under his leadership, Tennessee won the 2024 SEC regular-season championship and has made it to the Elite Eight two years in a row. Barnes is the winningest coach in program history.

Barnes was previously named Naismith Coach of the Year in 2018 and was nominated for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024.

Syndication: The Indianapolis Star - Source: Imagn

Rick Barnes' coaching career before Tennessee

Rick Barnes spent the past 10 seasons at Tennessee, but his head coaching career spans nearly four decades. Following assistant coaching stints at Davidson, George Mason, Alabama and Ohio State, Barnes returned to George Mason to serve as head coach in the 1987-88 season.

After leading George Mason for one season, Barnes took over as head coach at Providence. He coached six seasons, making it to three NCAA Tournaments and winning a Big East Tournament Championship in his final season.

Syndication: The Tennessean - Source: Imagn

Barnes broke into the Power conferences when he became Clemson's head coach ahead of the 1994-95 season. He led the Tigers for four seasons, making three straight March Madness appearances, before beginning his famous stint at Texas.

The veteran head coach is probably best known for coaching the Longhorns from 1998 to 2015. Barnes brought Texas to the NCAA Tournament in all but one season. He picked up three Big 12 regular-season championships and led the Longhorns to the 2003 Final Four.

Barnes had made a name for himself as a successful college coach long before taking over at Tennessee, but his achievements with the Vols were fitting for his latest accolade.

About the author

Lindsey Ware is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over five years of experience working with publications such as The News & Observer, The Daily Tar Heel, Triangle Tribune and Cardiac Cane. She has also worked for Major League Baseball, The Holly Springs Salamanders, The Tri-City Chili Peppers, Tuffy Talk, Super Meteors Basketball, Just Good Network and Living Sport.

Lindsey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill. Her education allowed Lindsey to gain experience in sports communication, which she honed in internships. Other than being a storyteller and sports fanatic, Lindsey is also a social media and marketing specialist.

Her favorite college team is UNC, although she grew up a N.C. State fan as both of her parents are Wolfpack alumni. Michael Jordan was a huge deal in North Carolina when Lindsey was growing up, and after a summer spent at UNC’s Sports Journalism Camp back in high school, Lindsey was set on being a Tar Heel.

Lindsey's favorite college coach of all time is Roy Williams. During her time attending UNC Chapel Hill and writing for The Daily Tar Heel, Lindsey was lucky enough to meet and speak with Williams a few times. He was like a celebrity on UNC’s campus and was beloved for his coaching style and success with the Tar Heels, accumulating three NCAA championship titles in 18 years.

When not watching or writing about sports, Lindsey enjoys reading, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, and spending time with my friends, family and dog. She also likes to journal, watch movies and paint.

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Edited by Krutik Jain