ESPN’s Chris Low is reporting that UCLA’s initial offer to Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes was for $5 million a year.
Tennessee has also given him a new offer and he is trying to decide between the two schools.
Here’s the latest:
UCLA began aggressively pursuing Barnes last week with a package that would pay him $5 million a year, not counting bonuses and incentives. Barnes was named Naismith Coach of the Year on Sunday and met with Tennessee athletic director Phillip Fulmer later that evening. They had additional conversations on Monday, including some correspondence with interim university president Randy Boyd, about a new deal at UT, sources said.
Barnes, who will turn 65 in July, is expected to make a final decision within the next day. A source told ESPN that he loves living in East Tennessee and loves the people in Tennessee, but is also intrigued by the chance to restore UCLA to its past glory and finish his career at such a tradition-rich basketball school.
