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It must follow him wherever he goes. The "it" is
success, and success has become synonymous with Tony
Barbee, who is in his sixth season on John
Calipari's staff at Memphis. Barbee came to Memphis
after stints at both Wyoming (1998-99) and his alma
mater, Massachusetts (1996-98, 1999-2000).
In Barbee's five seasons in Memphis, he has helped
lead the Tigers to five-straight 20-win seasons and
five-consecutive postseason berths (2003, 2004 NCAA;
2001, 2002, 2005 NIT). Prior to this recent success,
the last time Memphis had five-straight 20-win
seasons was the late 1980s, and the last time the
Tigers made five-consecutive postseasons was from
1989-93.
Since 2000-01, Memphis has also won the 2002
National Invitation Tournament championship, claimed
a share of the 2004 Conference USA regular season
crown and took home the 2002 and 2003 C-USA National
Division titles. The Tigers have posted 115 overall
victories and 56 C-USA wins the last five seasons.
The five years prior to this recent run of success,
the Tigers had 83 total wins and 46 C-USA victories.
The Tigers also have finished two seasons ranked in
the final Associated Press Top 25 poll - No. 19 in
2003 and No. 24 in 2004. The last time Memphis was
ranked in the final polls in consecutive years was
the 1984-85 and 1985-86 campaigns.
The Memphis basketball fortunes have changed for the
better the last five years, and much of that has to
do with the coaching staff's commitment to
recruiting - an area in which Barbee excels.
In addition to his on-court responsibilities, Barbee
has become one of the nation's top recruiters. In
its 2005-06 preview issue, Street& Smith's named
Barbee the top assistant in Conference USA. He also
received recognition is 2004, as he was named among
Rivals.com's top 25 recruiters in the nation.
HoopScoop magazine listed him as one of the nation's
top assistant coaches in 2004.
The recognition Barbee has received is most
deserving. Since arriving in Memphis, Calipari and
his staff have raked in recruiting classes that have
been ranked in the top 10 every year. The Tigers'
2001 recruiting class was ranked No. 1 in the
nation, while the other three groups were rated in
the top 10, including the No. 3 classes in 2004 and
2005. Memphis was destined for another No. 1 class
in 2002 before its top signee opted for the NBA, but
the class still wound up in the top 10.
After beginning his coaching career as the third
assistant at UMass from 1996-98, Barbee joined the
Wyoming coaching staff for the 1998-99 season in a
position that allowed him to recruit off campus. In
his only year with the Cowboys, Barbee assisted in
guiding Wyoming to an 18-10 mark and an NIT
appearance, advancing to the postseason's second
round.
Barbee returned to his alma mater for the 1999-2000
campaign and continued to develop his reputation as
an outstanding recruiter. During his second stint at
UMass, Barbee worked with the Minutemen's post
players, including Kitwana Rhymer, who ranked among
the Atlantic 10 Conference's top 10 in both
rebounding and blocked shots. The Minutemen posted a
17-16 record that season, advancing to the Atlantic
10 Tournament semifinals and the NIT first round.
Barbee began his coaching career after spending one
season as the analyst for the UMass basketball radio
network.
The Indianapolis, Ind., native's success at the
collegiate level started during his playing days at
UMass, where he was integral piece in the
Minutemen's climb to national prominence. Barbee,
who still ranks among the program's top scorers with
1,643 career points, played on Minutemen squads that
posted a 91-39 record, earned four-straight
postseason bids and won back-to-back Atlantic 10
Conference regular season and tournament titles in
1992 and 1993.
The 1991-92 team advanced to the NCAA Tournament
Sweet 16, while the 1990-91 squad made it all the
way to the NIT final four, thanks in part to
Barbee's heroics. It was his last-second
three-pointer against Siena that sent the
Minutemen's NIT quarterfinal game into overtime,
where UMass eventually won a trip to Madison Square
Garden and the tournament semifinals.
A two-time All-Atlantic 10 second team pick in 1991
and 1993, Barbee was named to the league's
All-Freshman Team following the 1989-90 campaign. He
still ranks in the top 10 on several Minutemen
career lists.
After his career at UMass, Barbee played two
professional seasons in Spain and France.
Barbee, 35, and his wife, Holly, have a daughter,
Hayden Alexandra (6), and a son, Andrew Marsh (1). |
