AUSportTalk 4 Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 Tony Barbee, who has served as head coach at UTEP the past four seasons and was the 2010 Conference USA Coach of the Year, has been named the head basketball coach at Auburn University, Director of Athletics Jay Jacobs announced Wednesday. In Barbee's four years, he led the UTEP program to three consecutive winning records, including a 26-7 mark during the 2009-10 season. The Miners won the Conference USA regular season title and made the NCAA Tournament this season. Prior to his stint at UTEP, Barbee spent six highly successful seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Memphis, where he was considered one of the nation's top recruiters. "We are thrilled to welcome Tony Barbee into the Auburn Family," Jacobs said. "Coach Barbee has a vision of competing for championships at Auburn, and the passion to get us there. He is a phenomenal coach, an outstanding recruiter and a fierce competitor. "Coach Barbee also shares Auburn values and is the right man to lead our team and represent Auburn University and the Auburn Family," Jacobs said. "The bottom line is Tony Barbee is a winner. We could not be happier to have him as the new face of Auburn Basketball as we prepare to open a new era in a new arena next season." Barbee, 38, will be formally introduced as Auburn's 20th head coach on Thursday. "I'm very excited about the opportunity to join the Auburn Family and proud to be the next head coach at Auburn," Barbee said. "We have challenges in front of us, but we also have great opportunities with everything Auburn has to offer-a great university, outstanding community, tremendous fan support, and a terrific new arena and practice facility. The time is now to take Auburn basketball to new heights." In just his second season at UTEP, Barbee directed the program to a 19-14 mark, followed by a 23-14 record in 2008-09 while making a postseason appearance. While at Memphis from 2000-06, the Tigers won 148 games, an average of nearly 25 victories per season. Memphis also made six consecutive postseason tournament appearances, including three trips to the NCAA Tournament (2003, '04, '06) and three appearances in the NIT (2001, '02, `05). They enjoyed six straight 20-win seasons and earned final Associated Press top-25 rankings on three occasions - fourth in 2006, 19th in 2003, and 24th in 2004. The Tigers had a banner 2005-06 campaign, posting a 33-4 record while reaching the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. Memphis captured Conference USA regular season and tournament crowns. Memphis claimed a share of the 2004 Conference USA regular season crown and finished first in the league's National Division in 2002 and 2003. A native of Indianapolis, Ind., Barbee played for and coached under Kentucky head coach John Calipari. He played for Calipari at Massachusetts before reuniting with him as an assistant coach at Memphis. He was named the top assistant in Conference USA in Street & Smith's 2005-06 preseason college basketball yearbook. He was also honored by Rivals.com as the No. 3 recruiter in the country while at Memphis. HoopScoop magazine tabbed him as one of the nation's top assistant coaches in 2004. Memphis produced top-10 recruiting classes in each of Barbee's last six years on staff, including a 2001 group that was rated number one in the country. Four players coached by Barbee are currently in the NBA-Rodney Carney (Philadelphia 76ers), Joey Dorsey (Sacramento Kings), Chris Douglas-Roberts (New Jersey Nets), and Marcus Camby (Portland Trail Blazers). Barbee began his coaching career as an assistant at UMass from 1996-98, where he was involved with two NCAA Tournament teams. He joined the Wyoming coaching staff for the 1998-99 season, where the Cowboys finished 18-10 and advanced to the second round of the NIT. He returned to UMass as an assistant for the 1999-00 campaign. UMass reached the postseason NIT that year. Barbee worked as a graduate assistant at UMass during the 1995-96 season. The Minutemen finished with a 35-2 mark, advancing to the NCAA Final Four under Calipari. As a player at Massachusetts, Barbee was instrumental in the Minutemen posting a 91-39 record and earning four straight postseason tournament bids. UMass won back-to-back Atlantic 10 Conference regular season and tournament titles in 1992 and 1993. Barbee still ranks among the school's all-time leaders in numerous statistical categories, including scoring (1,643 points). He was a second-team All-Atlantic 10 player in 1991 and 1993, and All-Atlantic 10 Freshman team member in 1990. He helped UMass reach the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in 1992, and the Final Four of the NIT in 1991. Barbee played professionally in Spain and France after his playing career at UMass. Barbee earned his B.A. in sports management from UMass in 1993, with a minor in African-American studies. He and his wife, Holly, have a daughter, Hayden Alexandra, and son, Andrew Marsh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronald McDonald 0 Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 Thats a very impressive resume if you ask me.. He's very qualified for the job and i'm glad because he will represent the Auburn family in a good manner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourthvision 0 Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 he joins Chizik and Troop on the man crush list....and Cam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aupops2 9 Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 WOW!!! Coach Barbee began his coaching career at Wyoming. Didn't another Auburn coach once head the Wyoming program in another sport? He got "a patch of grass" named after him. We have a lot of new arena floor waiting to be named after the right person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackson-Sullivan 0 Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 I really love this hire. He's been in my top 3 throughout this entire process. Welcome and War Eagle, Coach Barbee!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guerra aguila 0 Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 Its great to see his name as the GUY... im excited Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InfernoOrangeSS 321 Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 He was not my top choice, but clearly Tubby or Anderson were not going to come to Auburn. I think we got the best available man. I am excited about the upcoming BB season for the first time in 5 years. War Eagle! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guerra aguila 0 Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 He was not my top choice, but clearly Tubby or Anderson were not going to come to Auburn. I think we got the best available man. I am excited about the upcoming BB season for the first time in 5 years. War Eagle! we have some young talent returning, along with a nice incoming recruiting class... considering nobody backs out or transfers. Barbee wont be completely empty handed so to speak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InfernoOrangeSS 321 Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 As good a recruiter as he is billed, it won't matter if we have some attrition. Things are definitely looking up for AU BB! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvsmith83 0 Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 Great hire for us... A basketball version of Trooper Taylor!!!! Good effort by JJ on this hire for the following reasons: Anderson and his agent Sexton did not USE JJ to get a raise at Missouri... Did not let the Tubby (finescum) rumor dwell in the media for for very long hired a minority, which is spite of Scarbunsky article was imperative only disapointment was: May have overpaid...but even this should keep memphis or others from calling anytime soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
auclong 1 Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 WOW!!! Coach Barbee began his coaching career at Wyoming. Didn't another Auburn coach once head the Wyoming program in another sport? He got "a patch of grass" named after him. We have a lot of new arena floor waiting to be named after the right person. The Cowboys were his second stop. Started at UMass. The sentence was sort of jumbled but main thing is were he is now. WDE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMayorOfChillville 31 Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 I love this hire and think AU got a great coach. Really excited to go watch him coach in the new arena. P.S. Good job on the reporting ST. Also love the welcome banner. WDE! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ_Hatch 0 Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 [glow=orange,2,300][shadow=red,left]WAR DAMN BARBEE!!!!!!![/shadow][/glow] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boodaddy 0 Posted March 25, 2010 Share Posted March 25, 2010 I feel better about our program now. More confident than I have been ion many years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peck4au 0 Posted March 28, 2010 Share Posted March 28, 2010 He was in my top 3 along with K-States coach and Butler's coach. I would have been fine with any of them so I think it was a great hire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
storyofmylife182 0 Posted March 29, 2010 Share Posted March 29, 2010 I'm thrilled about this hire. He's been my top choice since I've seen his name on the list of potential canidates. I think we made the right hire on this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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