By Jimmy Hyams
Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said he doesn’t know Missouri coach Cuonzo Martin all that well.
But that didn’t stop Barnes from heaping praise on the former Tennessee head coach (2011-14).
“I think he did a great job here, I really do,’’ Barnes said at his Monday morning press conference. “I like to think people appreciated the job he did here because I think he did a terrific job.’’
Martin was 63-41 and took his last UT team to the Sweet 16, winning three NCAA tournament games as it played in the “First Four’’ in Dayton, O.
His first UT team was picked 11th in 12-team league and placed 2nd.
“I’m not sure how he was embraced,’’ Barnes said. “If he wasn’t truly embraced, people should be ashamed because the guy is a heckuva person, he’s a heckuva basketball coach. … I think anybody that knows him well will tell you he’s a really class guy.’’
Martin took the Vols to the Sweet 16 and barely missed out on the Elite Eight after losing to No. 2 seed Michigan, 73-71.
After that season, Martin said he was offered a job at Marquette but turned it down to stay at Tennessee. It was announced by UT in a press release.
However, a few weeks later, Martin left for California. He told some in the media that the reduced buyout in his contract offered by then-athletic director Dave Hart was setting him up to be fired.
So he bolted for California, where he coached three years before taking the Missouri job.
In truth, many UT fans didn’t embrace Martin because they were upset Bruce Pearl had been fired after committing a minor NCAA violation, then lying to the NCAA during a probe. Pearl a highly successful six-year run at Tennessee.
This season, Missouri is 12-5, 2-2 SEC. It hosts Tennessee Wednesday at 9 p.m.
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