Tony Barbee

Last updated
Tony Barbee
Tony-Barbee-3.jpg
At Kentucky's 2015 Blue-White scrimmage
Current position
TitleHead coach
Team Central Michigan
Conference MAC
Record35–58 (.376)
Biographical details
Born (1971-08-10) August 10, 1971 (age 53)
Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Playing career
1989–1993 UMass
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1995–1998 UMass (GA/assistant)
1998–1999 Wyoming (assistant)
1999–2000UMass (assistant)
2000–2006 Memphis (assistant)
2006–2010 UTEP
2010–2014 Auburn
2014–2021 Kentucky (assistant)
2021–present Central Michigan
Head coaching record
Overall166–185 (.473)
Tournaments0–1 (NCAA Division I)
3–2 (CBI)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
  • C-USA regular season (2010)
Awards
Player
Coach
  • C-USA Coach of the Year (2010)
  • MAC Coach of the Year (2024)

Anthony Michael Barbee (born August 10, 1971) is an American college basketball coach, who is currently serving as head coach of the Central Michigan Chippewas. He was previously head coach at Auburn and UTEP. Barbee led UTEP to a Conference USA championship in 2010 and was named Conference USA Coach of the Year. Barbee played college basketball for Massachusetts under John Calipari, winning two Atlantic 10 regular season and tournament championships in 1992 and 1993.

Contents

Early years

Barbee was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, and grew up as a fan of the nearby Butler University Bulldogs. Butler recruited him to play for the team, but Barbee chose to play for Massachusetts instead. [1] In his four years as a Minuteman, Barbee averaged double-figures in scoring every year. He finished with 1,643 career points. The Atlantic 10 named him to the league Freshman Team in 1989–90, and the Second Team in 1990–91 and 1992–93. The Minutemen compiled a 91–39 (.700) overall record during Barbee's four years, and advanced to two NITs and two NCAA Tournaments. He graduated in 1993 with a degree in Sports Management.

After UMass, Barbee played professional basketball in Spain and France.

Assistant coaching

For the 1995–96 season, Barbee and former teammate Derek Kellogg returned to college basketball as a graduate assistant at UMass, helping as the Minutemen reached the Final Four for the first time in program history. After Calipari moved to the NBA and Bruiser Flint was promoted to head coach, Barbee was also promoted to assistant coach, where he would work with the Minutemen for two additional seasons.

Barbee spent the 1998–99 season as an assistant coach with Wyoming. He then returned to UMass for one more season, and then moved to Calipari's staff again, this time at Memphis, starting in the 2000–01 season, where he would establish a reputation as an excellent recruiter. [2] Barbee spent six years with the Tigers, as the team compiled a 148–59 (.715) record.

In 2002, Barbee received a letter of reprimand from the University of Memphis for pushing an Arkansas player. Sullinger fell into the Tigers' bench and into Barbee during the second half Wednesday night in a game at The Pyramid. Barbee pushed Sullinger, an action replayed several times during throughout the game that Memphis ultimately lost. Barbee was also required to write apologies to Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson and J.J. Sullinger. [3] [4]

Barbee reunited with Coach Calipari for the 2014–2015 season, this time at the University of Kentucky where he served as the Special Assistant to the Head Coach. In this role Barbee assisted in a multitude of roles, including game-plan preparation and practice plans. With Barbee’s help the Wildcats enjoyed one of the most storied seasons in program history, becoming the first team in NCAA history to begin a season 38–0 while claiming the SEC regular-season and tournament crowns, advancing to the program’s fourth Final Four in five seasons, and helping six players go in the NBA draft.

UTEP

Barbee was hired as the coach of the Miners on August 14, 2006, succeeding Doc Sadler, who moved to coach Nebraska. [5] Barbee was the first African-American head coach in UTEP men's basketball history. [6] This was another milestone for the program, as their 1966 team, then known as Texas Western, became the first team with five African-American starters to win a title game, defeating Kentucky and their all-white team.

Barbee spent four seasons in El Paso, and the Miners improved steadily each year. The 2009–10 season was the highlight during Barbee's tenure. The Miners made the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five seasons. Their regular season conference title was the first since the 2003–04 season, when UTEP was a member of the WAC. Barbee was named the C-USA Coach of the Year, as well as the NABC District 11 Coach of the Year. [7]

The Miners went 82–52 (.612) under Barbee's leadership.

Auburn

Barbee coaching in 2013 Tony Barbee.jpg
Barbee coaching in 2013

Barbee was named the head coach of the Auburn men's basketball team on March 24, 2010 and was formally introduced the following day in Auburn Arena. [8] Barbee became the first black head men's or women's basketball coach at Auburn. [9]

Barbee lost his first game as Auburn's head coach on November 12, 2010 to UNC Asheville in overtime 70–69. This was also the first men's basketball game played in Auburn Arena. [10] Barbee did not get his first win at Auburn until the 4th game of his first season, beating Middle Tennessee 68–66. [11] However, after this rough start, Barbee's first Auburn team managed to remain competitive in the SEC, so much so that his former coach John Calipari went as far as to say that Barbee should be considered for SEC Coach of the Year. [12]

Despite showing promise at the end of his first season, Barbee never had a winning season at Auburn. His best record came in the 2011–12 season when Auburn finished 15–16. Auburn then lost 16 of 17 SEC games during a stretch of the 2012–13 season under Barbee, and had yet another losing season in 2013–14.

The Barbee era at Auburn was fraught with off the court issues. Following the 2011–12 season, Auburn point guard Varez Ward was arrested on charges of point shaving. [13] This case was later dismissed when Ward went into a pre-trial diversion program and with full cooperation with the FBI, neither Auburn nor Ward were found guilty of any wrongdoing. [14] Of the 21 players that Barbee signed while at Auburn, only 9 remained on his roster in his 4th season due to player dismissals and transfers. [15]

Barbee was fired on March 12, 2014, minutes after losing in the first round of the SEC tournament to South Carolina 74–56. [16] He finished with a cumulative record of 49–75 (.395), the lowest winning percentage of any Auburn head coach with more than a two-season tenure.

Central Michigan

On April 23, 2021, Barbee was announced as the next head coach of the Central Michigan Chippewas Men's Basketball team. [17] Barbee took over following the firing of Keno Davis, who served as head coach of the Chippewas for nine seasons. Barbee would take over a program that hadn't made an appearance in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament since 2003.

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
SeasonTeamOverallConferenceStandingPostseason
UTEP Miners (Conference USA)(2006–2010)
2006–07 UTEP 14–176–1010th
2007–08 UTEP 19–148–86th CBI first round
2008–09 UTEP 23–1410–64th CBI Runner-up
2009–10 UTEP 26–715–11st NCAA Division I Round of 64
UTEP:82–52 (.612)39–25 (.609)
Auburn Tigers (Southeastern Conference)(2010–2014)
2010–11 Auburn 11–204–125th (West)
2011–12 Auburn 15–165–11T–10th
2012–13 Auburn 9–233–1514th
2013–14 Auburn 14–166–1212th
Auburn:49–75 (.395)18–50 (.265)
Central Michigan Chippewas (Mid-American Conference)(2021–present)
2021–22 Central Michigan 7–236–128th
2022–23 Central Michigan 10–215–13T–9th
2023–24 Central Michigan 18–1412–64th
Central Michigan:35–58 (.376)23–31 (.426)
Total:166–185 (.473)

      National champion        Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion        Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion      Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

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References

  1. ↑ "Barbee, A schoolboy fan of Butler, now out to beat them". ABC 7, KVIA El Paso. 2010. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
  2. ↑ "Coach Bio: Tony Barbee". Auburn Athletics Department via CBS Interactive. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
  3. ↑ Bolin, Eric (2022-08-08). "John Calipari's Recent Stance Conjures the Time He Ruined an Arkansas Basketball Rivalry". Best of Arkansas Sports. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  4. ↑ "Memphis Assistant Coach Reprimanded". Huron Daily Tribune. 2002-01-03. Retrieved 2022-08-15.
  5. ↑ "Tony Barbee named men's basketball head coach at UTEP". UTEP Athletics Department via CBS Interactive. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
  6. ↑ Zenor, John. "Breaking Color Barrier Not Unique to Auburn's First Black Head Basketball Coach – Higher Education". Diverseeducation.com. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  7. ↑ "UTEP's Barbee Named NABC District 11 Coach of the Year". C-USA.com. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
  8. ↑ "Tony Barbee Named Auburn Head Basketball Coach". www.auburntigers.com. Retrieved 2016-02-28.
  9. ↑ "UTEP's Barbee accepts Auburn's coaching job". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2016-02-28.
  10. ↑ "Auburn opens new arena with overtime loss to UNC-Asheville". AL.com. Retrieved 2016-02-28.
  11. ↑ "Tony Barbee, Auburn celebrate first win in new arena". AL.com. Retrieved 2016-02-28.
  12. ↑ "John Calipari's pick for SEC coach of year is … Tony Barbee?!?". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
  13. ↑ "Ex-Auburn G Ward indicted for fixing games". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2016-02-28.
  14. ↑ "Ex-Auburn player Ward into diversion program". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2018-03-10.
  15. ↑ "Auburn fires men's basketball coach Tony Barbee, search will begin immediately (updated)". AL.com. Retrieved 2016-02-28.
  16. ↑ "Phillip Marshall: It just didn't work for Barbee". www.auburntigers.com. Retrieved 2016-02-28.
  17. ↑ "CMU Announces Tony Barbee as New Men's Basketball Head Coach". Central Michigan University Athletics. Retrieved 2021-04-23.
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