Tony Barbee Is Heading Back to Kentucky Basketball Coaching, and His New Job Shows How Far He's Fallen
Tony Barbee is returning to the college basketball sidelines in Kentucky, but not the way he probably imagined. Murray State just hired him as associate head coach, working under head coach Ryan Miller. It's a step down from where Barbee has been before, and it's a reminder of how unpredictable the coaching game really is.
A Long History With John Calipari
Barbee's connection to Kentucky basketball runs deep. He played for John Calipari at UMass, then immediately jumped onto Cal's coaching staff in Amherst. When Calipari moved to Memphis, Barbee followed him there too, climbing the coaching ranks at Auburn before eventually reuniting with his mentor at Kentucky. The big moment came in 2015 when Barbee was on the Wildcats sideline for their famous 38-1 season. He stayed in Lexington until the program's rough Covid-19 campaign, but when Calipari overhauled his staff, Barbee had to find work elsewhere.
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Barbee's next landing spot was the MAC, where he took over at Central Michigan. It took three full years just to post a winning record. When the Chips fell to 14-17 in his fourth season, he was fired. Last year, he grabbed an assistant spot at Incarnate Word. Now Murray State is giving him another chance as associate head coach.
Murray State's Building Project
Miller had a solid first year with the Racers, posting a 20-13 record overall and 12-8 in conference play. That earned them a No. 4 seed in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. Murray State was an NCAA Tournament regular back when they were in the Ohio Valley Conference, making the Big Dance 10 times in 17 seasons between 1990 and 2006. They even won opening round games in 2019 and 2022. Since joining the MVC in 2023, though, the Racers haven't finished better than fourth. The program appears to be trending upward under Miller, and Barbee will be part of that rebuild.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.