DesMoinesHawki
Well-Known Member
The more I read about him and what he has done at UTEP and who he has coached under, etc., I think this could be a great fit for Iowa. He is young. Plays up-tempo. From I have read, has a very good relationships with the various camp leaders. Sounds like he is very well respected by his peers. His teams have shown impressive improvement each season. He is energetic, engaging and has shown he can recruit. I think he could generate a lot of excitement in Iowa City. People want to say Steve Forbes and I am not sure why. Just because he is from Iowa should not bump him up the list. Here are some comments that others have made about Barbee:
“I’ve known Tony for a long time. I’m really close to John [Calipari] and I’ve spent a lot of time with the Memphis program. I admire the heck out of Tony. He’s a really bright guy. He cares about the players and the profession. I believe he’ll win like the past coaches at UTEP have, and maybe he’ll stay there a long time like Coach Haskins.â€
- LarryBrown
Head Coach, Charlotte Bobcats
“UTEP hired one of the great young coaches in college basketball. Not only will Tony recruit student-athletes that will make the El Paso community proud, but he will coach them up and the fans will be proud to watch them play. Tony is like my son. I have known him since he was 15 years old. He helped build the UMass program as a player and the Memphis program as a coach. I couldn’t be happier for him.â€
-JohnCalipari
Head Coach, Kentucky
“I have always admired Tony’s tenacity, enthusiasm and energy, not only as a player but certainly in the time he has been a coach. His willingness to do what it takes to make players better and energize the UTEP program will be second to none. I firmly believe Tony Barbee will make everyone that has ever coached, played or cheered for UTEP very proud that he is their coach. This is the start of a great chapter in UTEP basketball history.â€
-TomCrean
Head Coach, Indiana
“Tony was a very cerebral player with a great personality. He has become one of the nation’s top assistant coaches under the tutelage of John Calipari, and he will make an excellent head coach at UTEP. He understands people, he knows basketball and he has a great head on his shoulders.â€
-FranFraschilla
Former Collegiate Head Coach
and Television Analyst
“Tony is a solid citizen. He’s a student of the game, and he’s paid his dues. He’s learned from some great people. He’s sucked it all up and it has paid off for him. It’s a great hire for UTEP. He’s a good person. He has connections all over the country in recruiting and recruiting is the name of the game.â€
-HowardGarfinkel
Co-Director, Five-Star Basketball Camp
“UTEP has made a great choice. Working with John Calipari, one of the great coaches in the country, is going to prepare him for top-level basketball. Coach Calipari knows how to run a program. He’s a great technician and practice coach, and Tony has been an integral part of what they’re doing at Memphis.â€
-DelHarris
Assistant Coach, New Jersey Nets
Barbee : the coach
Member of the UMass staff in 1995-96, helping the Minutemen to the NCAA Tournament Final Four with a 35-2 mark ... was a part of UMass’ drive to NCAA Tournament bids as an assistant in 1997 and 1998 ... Wyoming won a poststseason NIT first round game in 1999 with Barbee on the bench ... Memphis posted 148 victories from 2000-06, including 69 Conference USA wins ... the Tigers played in the NCAA Tournament in 2003, 2004 and 2006, and the postseason NIT in 2001, 2002 and 2005 ... Memphis finished 33-4 in 2005-06, gaining a final national ranking of no. 4 by the Associated Press after earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight ... the Tigers were also credited with final AP top-25 rankings in 2003 (19th) and 2004 (24th) ... Memphis won the 2002 postseason NIT ... Barbee was appointed the top assistant in Conference USA by Street & Smith’s 2005-06 preseason college basketball yearbook, and was listed as the no. 3 recruiter in the country by Rivals.com ... he was named one of the nation’s top assistant coaches by HoopScoop magazine in 2004 ... Barbee has coached five players currently in the NBA ... he led UTEP to 14 wins in his first year as a head coach ... directed the Miners to 19 wins during the 2007-08 campaign, including the Conference USA Tournament semifinals and a bid to the inaugural College Basketball Invitational ... UTEP boasted C-USA’s leading scorer (Stefon Jackson) and Sixth Man of the Year (Randy Culpepper).
“I’ve known Tony for a long time. I’m really close to John [Calipari] and I’ve spent a lot of time with the Memphis program. I admire the heck out of Tony. He’s a really bright guy. He cares about the players and the profession. I believe he’ll win like the past coaches at UTEP have, and maybe he’ll stay there a long time like Coach Haskins.â€
- LarryBrown
Head Coach, Charlotte Bobcats
“UTEP hired one of the great young coaches in college basketball. Not only will Tony recruit student-athletes that will make the El Paso community proud, but he will coach them up and the fans will be proud to watch them play. Tony is like my son. I have known him since he was 15 years old. He helped build the UMass program as a player and the Memphis program as a coach. I couldn’t be happier for him.â€
-JohnCalipari
Head Coach, Kentucky
“I have always admired Tony’s tenacity, enthusiasm and energy, not only as a player but certainly in the time he has been a coach. His willingness to do what it takes to make players better and energize the UTEP program will be second to none. I firmly believe Tony Barbee will make everyone that has ever coached, played or cheered for UTEP very proud that he is their coach. This is the start of a great chapter in UTEP basketball history.â€
-TomCrean
Head Coach, Indiana
“Tony was a very cerebral player with a great personality. He has become one of the nation’s top assistant coaches under the tutelage of John Calipari, and he will make an excellent head coach at UTEP. He understands people, he knows basketball and he has a great head on his shoulders.â€
-FranFraschilla
Former Collegiate Head Coach
and Television Analyst
“Tony is a solid citizen. He’s a student of the game, and he’s paid his dues. He’s learned from some great people. He’s sucked it all up and it has paid off for him. It’s a great hire for UTEP. He’s a good person. He has connections all over the country in recruiting and recruiting is the name of the game.â€
-HowardGarfinkel
Co-Director, Five-Star Basketball Camp
“UTEP has made a great choice. Working with John Calipari, one of the great coaches in the country, is going to prepare him for top-level basketball. Coach Calipari knows how to run a program. He’s a great technician and practice coach, and Tony has been an integral part of what they’re doing at Memphis.â€
-DelHarris
Assistant Coach, New Jersey Nets
Barbee : the coach
Member of the UMass staff in 1995-96, helping the Minutemen to the NCAA Tournament Final Four with a 35-2 mark ... was a part of UMass’ drive to NCAA Tournament bids as an assistant in 1997 and 1998 ... Wyoming won a poststseason NIT first round game in 1999 with Barbee on the bench ... Memphis posted 148 victories from 2000-06, including 69 Conference USA wins ... the Tigers played in the NCAA Tournament in 2003, 2004 and 2006, and the postseason NIT in 2001, 2002 and 2005 ... Memphis finished 33-4 in 2005-06, gaining a final national ranking of no. 4 by the Associated Press after earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight ... the Tigers were also credited with final AP top-25 rankings in 2003 (19th) and 2004 (24th) ... Memphis won the 2002 postseason NIT ... Barbee was appointed the top assistant in Conference USA by Street & Smith’s 2005-06 preseason college basketball yearbook, and was listed as the no. 3 recruiter in the country by Rivals.com ... he was named one of the nation’s top assistant coaches by HoopScoop magazine in 2004 ... Barbee has coached five players currently in the NBA ... he led UTEP to 14 wins in his first year as a head coach ... directed the Miners to 19 wins during the 2007-08 campaign, including the Conference USA Tournament semifinals and a bid to the inaugural College Basketball Invitational ... UTEP boasted C-USA’s leading scorer (Stefon Jackson) and Sixth Man of the Year (Randy Culpepper).
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