After another early exit in the NCAA Tournament, Texas has reportedly had its fill of head coach Rick Barnes.
The Dallas Morning News reported one source close to the situation said it’s “simply a matter of time” before Barnes is out, while another source said “Texas seemed on the way to a new basketball coach.”
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Barnes has been the head coach at Texas for 17 seasons and has compiled 402 wins. However, he has taken the Longhorns past the Round of 32 just once in the program’s last eight trips to the NCAA Tournament.
The Texas coach could reportedly meet with athletic director Steve Patterson, who has told Barnes he wants to avoid all-too-familiar tournament disappointments, as early as Sunday to discuss his future (or lack thereof) with the program.
Reports already surfaced earlier this week that Barnes was under pressure from administration to make changes on his coaching staff in order to keep his own job.
Barnes is under contract through the 2018-19 season and is due a $1.75 million buyout if fired before April 1. If fired after the start of April, that buyout drops to $1.5 million. The only way Texas can get rid of Barnes without a hit to its wallet is if he resigns and no buyout is negotiated.
If he does indeed get the axe or steps down at Texas, Barnes may not be unemployed long. His name has already been linked to the Tennessee head coaching vacancy.