KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — Rick Barnes became the 22nd Division I men's college basketball coach to pick up career win No. 700 on Saturday against Jacksonville State. When you've coached that long and taken part in that many games, you make a few friends along the way. Those friends took the time to congratulate Barnes after the win.
"Thanks for the difference you've made in our community, we love you much for that," said Athletics Director Phillip Fulmer to Barnes and his wife, Candy, to start the video.
"Congrats on 700, I appreciate you, thanks for letting me be a part of a couple of those dubs," former NBA MVP Kevin Durant said. Durant played his freshman season at Texas with Barnes as his head coach.
"I just want to thank you for all that you've done for me and my family throughout the course of my career and my life, I'm thankful because you'e made me the man I am today," two-time SEC Player of the Year Grant Williams added.
More former players and fellow coaches chimed in, inclduing T.J. Ford, Rob Lanier, Jordan Bone, Chris Ogden, P.J. Tucker, Frank Martin and Dickey Simpkins.
At the very end of the video Tennessee put together, former president George W. Bush had a few words for Barnes. "Congratulations on winning your 700th basketball game, not only are you a great coach, but you're a really good man."
A former president, coaching legends and NBA All-Stars are great to hear from, but something tells me hearing from his family meant even more.