Tennessee's Rick Barnes Shares How Jesus Radically Changed His Life in New Documentary
The career and faith of University of Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes are explored in a new YouTube documentary that chronicles how he surrendered his life to Jesus midway through his coaching career and, in the words of his family, was given a “second chance” to live life the way God intended.
Barnes enjoyed successful coaching stints at George Mason, Providence, Clemson and Texas, yet he says in the documentary that he was a different person with his teams than he was at home, lacking inner peace and failing to fully invest in his family. He was known as a hot-tempered coach whose profanity had become part of his reputation.
Basketball had become the driving force of his life – his identity.
The documentary is appropriately titled, “It’s Not About Me.”
“I was a hypocrite, a phony, because I was acting one way, but inside, I really wasn't that person,” he says in the film. “I just let it eat me up because I wanted to be so successful, and I made it again about me.”
That inner conflict came to a head at Texas when one of his players, Damian Jones, asked Barnes to stop cursing at him. By then, Barnes had become known for his salty language, so much so that players counted the number of curse words he used during practice. One player in the documentary estimated the total reached as high as 400.
Barnes pledged to stop swearing. Toward the end of his career at Texas, he also rekindled his faith.
He ranks among the winningest coaches in NCAA history, taking his teams to 30 NCAA Tournament appearances in 39 seasons. He has led Tennessee to three straight Elite Eight appearances after guiding Texas to a Final Four. Altogether, his teams have won seven conference championships.
He is also known today as one of the most outspoken Christian coaches in college sports, yet that transformation began at Texas with a loving intervention from his family – especially his daughter, Carley. Recalling the moment, Barnes’ son, Nick, says, “She essentially just said, 'Dad, I love you so much. You just have to know that if we were to die today – myself, Nick, Mom – we would all be in heaven. We would be with Jesus.’”
Carley then gently told her father that, as he was living at the time, she wasn't sure he would be.
“I got upset with it because I knew they were right, and I went up the top of the hill, cried a little bit, and I know they loved me dearly enough to tell me the truth,” Barnes says.
Barnes was fired by Texas in 2015 but soon found a fresh opportunity at Tennessee – a move that Nick says became a second chance not only for his career but also for his life.
“He really did get a second act to sort of do it the right way,” Nick says.
Says Barnes, “There was no doubt in my mind it was all part of God’s plan, and I believe that with my whole heart. My time was up there.”
His daughter says his passion for coaching didn't diminish after he embraced Christ – it deepened.
“He's not a less passionate basketball coach – he's a more passionate basketball coach,” she says. “I think that's a really neat thing about when you become a follower of Jesus. … I think God was like, ‘There is so much that I want to do in this person's life through this passion, basketball, that ultimately I've given them.’”
Barnes says he now approaches coaching with a completely different perspective – one rooted in surrender.
“It’s not about me – and when I made it about me, it was wrong. I believe in God's sovereignty,” he says. “I believe that He knows everything. He's in charge of everything, and that gives me great peace. I know I've got a job to do, and my job is to do everything I can to prepare – and then victory belongs to Him, whatever that might be. I truly believe that.”
Photo Credit: ©YouTube.com/Tennessee Athletics
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published August 06, 2026.
