By Jimmy Hyams
Tennessee men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes said he was `sick’’ to learn Sunday that Butch Jones had been fired as Tennessee’s football coach.
“The one thing I can tell you about Butch is that no one put his heart into it more — nobody,’’ Barnes said Monday as he spoke to the Knoxville Quarterback Club.
“You step back as a coach and you ask the question, `Where did it get away from him?’’’
Barnes didn’t have an answer, but he did add this:
“I’m not sure people appreciated those nine-win seasons because I will tell you Dave Hart … told me when he came here as AD (athletic director) that this football program was in shambles. He told Butch it would take him a long time to get it going. And I think he got it (turned around) quicker than maybe he thought.
“All I can say is, he left it better than he found it, and the other thing is, he gave his all.’’
Jones left it better in terms of academics and culture. Record-wise, that is debatable.
Tennessee is 0-6 in the SEC, 4-6 overall. Derek Dooley’s last season, Tennessee was 1-7 in the SEC, 5-7 overall. Tennessee has never gone winless in the SEC or lost eight games in a season.
Barnes said he prayed Sunday for Jones and his family.
“He’s going to be fine,’’ Barnes said. “He’ll end up coaching again because he’s good at what he does. He was successful.’’
“I know it bothered him that he couldn’t do more. I know he wanted to do more. He really did respect and love the people here. … He wanted to do it be cause he felt like Tennessee deserved it.’’
Barnes described Jones as a “good man’’ who “worked hard.’’
Barnes then took a shot at those that took shots at Jones.
“What I don’t understand is why people want to beat people up all the time. I don’t get that,’’ Barnes said.
“I’m not into social media. If I saw people (that are), I’d say to them, `What are you angry about?’ We all want to win. I understand that. …
“I’d really like to say to people sometimes, `What are you angry about? If you have to beat other people down to make yourself feel good, there’s a problem.’’’
Barnes said if he were a football coaching coming to Tennessee, he’d ask this question: “What’s expected of me? Is nine wins not enough? Going to a bowl (not enough)?
“Do I have to be in the Final Four every year, like college football (playoff)?
“It’s like someone saying to me, `You’ve got to be in the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight every year.’ If somebody told me that, I’d say. `Well I don’t think I want to work for you.’
“I want to be there every year but I’ve been doing it long enough to know there are 350 other schools that want to be there too. We can’t all get there.’’
Barnes applauded the way athletic director John Currie handled the Jones situation, although others felt Currie should have fired Jones sooner.
“I thought John was tremendous the way he’s been with Butch,’’ Barnes said. “If you knew what I know, you’d be proud that he’s our AD. He has done some great things. He supported Butch all the way and Butch would tell you he really did. He (Currie) let the players know (about that support).
“We’ve got great leadership going on at UT that we should all be proud of.’’
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