CHICAGO — Through both the highs and lows of his coaching career, Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes has never hesitated to share how deeply his faith guides him.
Sometimes, those moments come when you least expect them.
Following Tennessee’s win over Iowa State on Friday night, Barnes made his way toward the Vols’ locker room after speaking with the media. Along the way, he noticed Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger and his players sitting in a holding area, waiting to face the media after an emotional loss.
Barnes stopped.
He shook hands with each player and Otzelberger, offering a simple message: “God bless you guys. Great season.”
It wasn’t performative. It wasn’t about the win.
It was who Rick Barnes is.
Some might assume the Tennessee coach was caught up in the moment after a victory. But those who know Barnes understand this is not an act — it’s a reflection of his genuine, long-standing faith.
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“I wish, at their age, I would’ve gone deeper in my relationship with Jesus Christ,” Rick Barnes said. “That’s one of the reasons why, when I came to Tennessee eleven years ago, we started this thing called ‘Power Talk’, and we have for eleven years. It’s a gospel message we have before our pregame meals. It’s the most important thing.
“I’m proud of these guys, because when they get older, they will find out that it’s really the main thing. And, I think we all need to learn how to keep our thoughts on the main thing.”
Barnes has consistently pointed to his faith as a guiding force, noting that while he was technically fired by Texas, he took it as God taking him to Knoxville as part of a bigger plan.
Since arriving at Tennessee, Barnes has built the Vols into a consistent force in the SEC. Now in his 11th season, Tennessee is once again in the Elite Eight — its third straight appearance — with a Final Four berth within reach.
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While roster construction and transfer portal success have played a role in that consistency, there’s something deeper driving this program.
After Friday’s win, Tennessee players and coaches gathered in the locker room, took a knee, and recited the Lord’s Prayer — a reflection of the culture Barnes and his players have built that takes place before and after each game.
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Freshman Nate Ament, who has been on campus for less than a year, has already felt that lasting impact.
“If I can add real fast, especially doing it before the game and after the game, just to know that good performance, bad performance, win or loss, Jesus is always there for you,” Ament explained. “Your worth isn’t in how you play as a basketball player, but it’s what Christ has done for you. You’re a child of his.
“If we all understand that, it kind of allows us to play with more confidence and play for something that isn’t a win or a loss, but to play so we can glorify him.”
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Creating buy-in year after year isn’t easy in today’s college basketball landscape. The Vols have eleven players on the roster who were not here just one year ago. That means, every season, the Tennessee head coach has to instill his basketball philosophies into a new group of young men.
But at Tennessee, players say Barnes’ authenticity — especially in his faith — is a major reason they commit to the program.
“Specifically for me, it’s one of the reasons I chose Tennessee because of Coach Barnes and his faith,” Nate Ament said about Rick Barnes. “It trickles throughout the whole coaching staff.
“I think as a team, you’re trying to glorify something bigger than yourself. And, ultimately, something that is Jesus Christ and is God can only lead to good things. When you’re playing for something other than your own glory and the glory of others, the glory of your teammates, the glory of Christ, only good things can happen from there if you’re being selfless and trying to take care of each other.”
For Ethan Burg, born in Ramat Gan, Israel, the sophomore noted the sense of community, which also comes from the ‘Power-Talks’ the team holds as a group, stands out just as much.
“I’m Jewish, so — I’m joking,” Burg said with a smile. “I enjoy taking part in it. It’s a beautiful tradition. It brings us together. The camaraderie we have in the locker room — I think it’s beautiful, and I enjoy being a part of that.”
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That bond has shown itself in difficult moments, with Ethan Burg being a perfect example of teammates fighting for each other, even during the worst situations imaginable.
Barnes recalled when Ethan Burg was struggling earlier this season with the turmoil in his native country, he asked Burg if quitting was something he wanted to do.
“He said, ‘Coach, I will never, ever quit on these guys. I promise you,’” Barnes mentioned. “He told me, ‘This is the first real team I’ve ever been a part of. Even if I never play another minute, I will never quit on these guys, I promise you. I love them.’
“You’ve got to realize, his family has been in and out of bunkers in Tel Aviv for months. It’s been tough on him, but he’s handled it really, really well. That was one of the greatest things any player has ever said to me.”
Barnes’ openness has also created an environment in which players feel comfortable expressing their own beliefs.
“Another reason I came here is because you can be unafraid to show your faith,” Bishop Boswell mentioned. “We do that before and after every game. It’s something a lot of guys value.
“But even if you don’t believe in Jesus Christ, it’s still a safe space for everyone to have conversations. That’s huge.”
Today, Tennessee will try to do something it has never done — reach the Final Four.
For those inside the program, this run is about more than basketball.
It’s about purpose.
And for Rick Barnes, that purpose has never wavered — even as the game he loves or the rosters he assembles continue to change.
