Tennessee close to a deal with Rick Barnes

Tennessee and Rick Barnes are closing in on a deal to make Barnes the school's next head men's basketball coach, according to a person with knowledge of the discussions.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal has not been finalized.

The news comes just one day after Barnes, 60, resigned under pressure at Texas after 17 seasons. Barnes is the all-time winningest coach at Texas and led the Longhorns to the NCAA tournament in all but one season.

Texas entered this season with Final Four aspirations. But injuries and overall inconsistent play helped to undermine the Longhorns' chances in the Big 12.

The season ended with 11th-seeded Texas losing to sixth-seeded Butler 56-48 in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

Barnes struggled to reach the standard that he himself established at Texas. He reached the Final Four in 2003 — followed by Elite Eight appearances in 2006 and 2008. But the Longhorns then struggled to sign some of the best prospects from the talent-rich state of Texas, and the program began to stagnate.

Barnes would replace Donnie Tyndall, who was fired because of his involvement in NCAA violations that occurred under his watch at Southern Mississippi.

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