LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky and John Calipari came up at Tony Barbee’s introductory Zoom teleconference as the new Central Michigan head coach on Friday.
Barbee spent the last seven seasons on UK’s staff, the first as a special assistant to Calipari and the last six as an assistant coach. He described that Kentucky connection as a time for reflection and reassessment.
“Step back and reevaluate my thought process and coach my philosophies,” he said. “(His time on UK’s staff) made me a better coach today.”
In the news release announcing Barbee as coach, Central Michigan Athletics Director Amy Folan cited the connections to Kentucky and Calipari as part of the hiring process. “He is a proven championship-caliber head coach, an elite recruiter who is well-versed in the national landscape …,” Folan said. “I think the responsibility that coach John Calipari gave Tony to help run the Kentucky program speaks volumes.”
Barbee had been interested in being a head coach again.
“It’s been a dream of mine to be in the first chair leading another basketball program, and I’m grateful to President (Robert) Davies and Athletics Director Amy Folan for their belief in me and my vision,” he said in the news release. “We’re going to build a championship-level program and play an exciting style that will be fun for the fans and the players. We will put together a tireless staff whose focus will be to help the players reach their goals and dreams and win championships along the way.”
A native of Indianapolis, Barbee’s connection with Calipari go back to a player-coach relationship at UMass in the early 1990s. That time included two games against Kentucky.
On Dec. 4, 1991, Barbee scored 13 points before fouling out in 27 minutes of a 90-69 Kentucky victory.
The teams played again in the 1992 East Region semifinals. Barbee scored 10 points, but UK won, 87-77, to advance to the classic game against Duke won by Christian Laettner’s buzzer-beating shot.
Barbee noted how Calipari made a lasting impression by establishing a culture.
“Things that will be acceptable and unacceptable, which was a big word that Coach Cal always used …,” Barbee said. “There was never a day off.”
Barbee began his coaching career as a graduate assistant for Calipari at UMass. He later was on Calipari’s staff at Memphis for six seasons.
Beginning in 2006-07, Barbee was a head coach for four seasons at UTEP. He compiled a record of 82-52.
That led to being hired by Auburn in 2010. His four-season record at Auburn was 49-75, which included 18-50 in the SEC.
When asked what he learned from his previous head coaching jobs and at Kentucky, Barbee said, “There’s no success and no failure. There’s only learning.”
Barbee spoke confidently about making Central Michigan a top program in the Mid-American Conference. The Chippewas had a 7-16 record (3-13 in the MAC) this past season. That followed a 14-18 (7-11 in the MAC) record in 2019-20.
“Nobody’s expectations will be higher than mine. … ,” Barbee said. “I know the fan base is a little frustrated, but better days are ahead.”
