Once word got out that National Coach of the Year award winner Rick Barnes had received a lucrative offer to leave Rocky Top for UCLA, Phillip Fulmer and the powerbrokers surrounding the Tennessee athletic department acted quickly to do everything in their power to keep their basketball coach in Knoxville.

Of course, those efforts were rewarded as Barnes has agreed to stay at Tennessee after receiving a raise and more money for his pool of assistant coaches. The raise likely makes it official that Barnes will finish his coaching career in Knoxville thanks to the efforts of Fulmer to keep UCLA from stealing away the coach just honored as the nation’s best by numerous outlets.

During a Tuesday afternoon press conference, Fulmer was asked about Tennessee’s increased commitment to basketball, which has never been higher in the school’s history. Why was Fulmer so committed to Barnes, who will now be one of the highest-paid basketball coaches in the nation?

“He is a quality man and has meant as much to this community as anyone that’s been here in some time. We’ve been through a lot of change and different things, I said it the other day, we weren’t going to let somebody come in here and buy our coach without putting up a great fight,” Fulmer answered.

“I think it makes a statement for our programs. We’ve invested here in people and we are in this to compete for championships at a conference and national level. We had a really outstanding, proven person and we weren’t going to let him go away.”

One topic Fulmer did take issue with was the narrative that Barnes may not have been happy with the contracts Tennessee was allowing him to give to his assistant coaches. According to Fulmer, Barnes asked for an increase in that department this time last year and Tennessee gave its coach what he asked for at the time.

“I’ve heard you guys, or somebody telling me (about the assistant contracts) — that’s never come up. It came up last year and we did what he wanted to do with his staff last year. That hasn’t been a discussion this year,” Fulmer stated. “Rick’s got a pool of money and with (assistant coach Rob) Lanier leaving, he can distribute that pool of money how he sees fit. If we needed to do something else for someone we are trying to keep, this year was never a discussion. Last year it was and we took care of it.”