University of Tennessee men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes says faith in Jesus Christ is “the most important thing” in his life, a belief echoed by players who say it shaped the team’s culture during their March Madness run to the Elite Eight.
Following his team’s victory in a Sweet 16 game against No. 2 Iowa State University on Friday as part of the ongoing NCAA Tournament, Barnes was asked during a press conference Saturday to elaborate on “why you don’t hide your faith and then secondly, what it means to have players that embrace that.”
Barnes responded by identifying his Christian faith as “the most important thing in my life.”
“I’m at a stage in my life where … that’s really the most important thing in my life,” the 71-year-old stressed. “I’ve learned a lot more through the rearview mirror than I have looking forward. I wish at their age, I would have gone deep in, much, much deeper into a relationship with Jesus Christ.”
During his 11 years as the head coach of the Volunteers, Barnes said the team has hosted a “power talk” for players in conjunction with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes before pregame meals that consists of a Gospel message that is “related to what we do and/or where we might be at that time.”
He shared a quote from Tennessee’s Republican Gov. Bill Lee, who recently proclaimed, “There’s very few things in life that matter, we should be about them.”
“I really took that to heart,” he said. “To me, the most important thing is to love God with all my heart, soul and mind, and that’s where I am right now in my life.”
Barnes predicted that as his players get older, “they’re going to find out that it’s really the main thing.”
“I think that we all need to learn how to keep our thoughts on the main thing,” he said.
Later, he mentioned that “God has blessed us with a group of guys that are very unselfish.” As he commented on his role as a college basketball coach, Barnes expressed confidence that “this is where God’s put me at this time.”
“I do know that God will make it perfectly clear when my time’s up,” he added.
Several players on the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team spoke of their faith in the press conference.
When asked to address a video circulating on social media showing team members reciting the Lord’s Prayer after Friday’s game and how Barnes has “rubbed off” on the team, freshman forward Nate Ament identified Barnes’ faith as one of the reasons he chose to play on the team.
“I think when, as a team, you’re trying to glorify something bigger than yourself and ultimately something that is … Jesus Christ and is God … can only lead to good things.”
“When you’re playing for something other than your own glory … and the glory of others, the glory of your teammates, the glory of Christ … only good things can happen from there if you’re being selfless and trying to take care of each other,” he said.
Ament described “how we’ve grown as a team” because of the emphasis on Christianity as a development that “means so much.”
Sophomore guard Bishop Boswell also praised the fact that the team displayed its faith “before and after every game.” He said the team is “a safe space for everybody, kind of just to have those conversations.” He also discussed the “power talks,” noting how they “hear about the Lord and things of that nature” and can “tie it into basketball.”
“He’s the reason we’re here in the Elite Eight and hopefully … we can get even further,” Boswell proclaimed.
Sophomore guard Ethan Burg, who is Jewish and born in Israel, said he also enjoyed participating in prayers with his teammates.
“I enjoy taking part in this. I think it’s a beautiful tradition, I feel like it brings us together,” Burg said.
Describing “the camaraderie we have in the locker room” as “beautiful,” Burg told reporters, “I enjoy being a part of that.”
Ament commented on how a shared focus on Jesus Christ affects the team’s performance.
“Good performance, bad performance, win or loss … Jesus is always there for you,” he said. “Your worth isn’t in how you play as a basketball player, but it’s … what Christ has done for you and … you’re a child of His.”
Ament credited that mindset with allowing the team to “play with more confidence” and “play for something that … isn’t just a win or loss but just to play so we can glorify Him.”
The Volunteers’ time in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament came to an end Sunday night in a loss to the University of Michigan.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: [email protected]
