Rick Barnes might be done at Texas after the Longhorns lost 56-48 in the first round of the NCAA tournament to Butler on Thursday, ending a season some believed should have ended in the NIT instead.
Losing to Butler was no surprise considering Texas has a lengthy list of lackluster performances over the past two months. The Longhorns once were ranked in the top-10 earlier this season but fell apart in conference play and never lived up to the potential of the talent on the roster.
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Athletic director Steve Patterson has a tough call to make. He already has overseen one Texas coaching legend's departure, when football coach Mack Brown departed following the 2013 season. But that wasn't as much his call as this will be. Texas hasn't been to the Sweet 16 since 2008.
Barnes has been at Texas for 17 years and is the winningest coach in the program's history. He was named to the Texas Hall of Honor in September. His future with the program was the clear focus of Texas beat writers when the end of the season arrived Thursday.
Rick Barnes on his job status: "I've never had a conversation (with anyone) about one thing."
— Brian Davis (@BDavisAAS) March 19, 2015
When I asked #Texas AD Steve Patterson if Rick Barnes would be back next season, he said, "I'm not talking."
— Chip Brown (@ChipBrownHD) March 19, 2015 And Texas fans are clearly restless witht the status of the program. Barnes was given a contract extension a year ago after the Longhorns advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament before losing. he would be owed $1.75 million if he is fired before April and $1.5 million if he is let go after April 1, the Dallas Morning News reported.
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[Kyle Ringo is the assistant editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at kyle.ringo@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KyleRingo
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