Rick Barnes describes College World Series victory as “very special”

Rick Barnestogether with thousands of other Tennessee loyal fans were there in Omaha last weekend as the Volunteers won their first national baseball title. And it was a night Barnes won’t soon forget.

Barnes not only saw the Volunteers lift a national championship trophy, but also met one of his old friends from their time at Texas together in the coaching staff: Frank AndersonAnderson was part of a winning Men’s College World Series team with the Longhorns in 2002 when Barnes was head basketball coach.

Seeing Anderson win another ring is just part of what made the night special for Barnes and all of Rocky Top’s loyal fans.

“It was — honestly, being in the national championship game was pretty special, and honestly, I’ve been there before, and it was in Texas,” Barnes said. “I told Frank Anderson, ‘We’re 2 for 2,’ because Frank was the pitching coach at Texas when I was there, and he won that year. And really one of my highlights, with everything that was happening, as we were getting ready to leave, I saw Frank sitting in the dugout by himself, and that really touched me. He was there, everyone was gone, just sitting back on the bench, looking back at the field, and I had so much respect for him.”

Barnes then praised the head coach Tony Vitello for the way he built Tennessee into one of the best college baseball programs.

And Barnes added that much of the success was due to the work of those above him and Vitello, both in the leadership of the athletic department and the university as a whole.

“But Tony, what he’s accomplished is truly remarkable,” Barnes said. “I keep asking myself, ‘How did it all come together, it seems so fast here at the University of Tennessee?’ But I was asked that question yesterday, and it’s really about leadership. We all know it starts at the top, and I say that every time I get a chance to talk about it. Randy Boyd And Donde Plowman And Daniel Whitethey’re the ones that have raised the bar and set the standard and there’s a real synergy with what’s going on here in our athletic department and we’re on a big wave right now and we hope to turn this into a tidal wave.