Tennessee's head coach Rick Barnes was awarded the Henry IBA Award by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association on Monday, recognizing him as its national coach of the year.
It's the first time he's won the award, and the first time a Tennessee coach has won it as well.
Barnes said he was honored by the award, but couldn't take all the credit.
"I think that when coaches get awards that it goes directly back to their players and their staff, because we all know that it's a team effort and we are in it together," he said at his Monday press conference. "It's truly an honor, a personal honor, but it wouldn't have happened without my other coaches. I think I have the best coaching staff in the country. And obviously what the players do, that's what it comes down to for the success we have had."
Barnes is the first SEC coach to win the award since 2003, according to USBWA, when Tubby Smith of Kentucky was given the honor.
Only five SEC coaches have ever won the award: Barnes, Smith (2003), Cliff Ellis of Auburn (1999), Eddie Fogler of Vanderbilt (1993) and Adolph Rupp of Kentucky (1966) – since the award began in 1959.