It’s been a heck of a year for coach Rick Barnes and the Tennessee Volunteers.
After being picked to finish 13th in the SEC, the Vols won a share of the regular-season title and made it all the way to the final of the SEC Tournament, earning a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
For his efforts with a young Vols squad, Barnes was named a finalist for the Naismith Coach of the Year award on Thursday morning, along with Jay Wright, Chris Holtmann and Tony Bennett:
Coach of the Year FINALISTS:
Rick Barnes
Tony Bennett
Chris Holtmann
Jay WrightWho is your pick?
? https://t.co/XiwJKEcnf2 pic.twitter.com/OOgNfoDDGR— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 15, 2018
Bennett and Wright coach Virginia and Villanova, respectively — two of the tournament’s four No. 1 seeds. Meanwhile, Holtmann took an Ohio State team with low expectations and made them a No. 5 seed.
Barnes may or may not win the award, but even if he doesn’t, it says a lot about the work he’s done that he even received the nomination.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
