8. RICK BARNES, TENNESSEE
2024-25 total pay: $5,800,000
There is a strong argument to be made that Rick Barnes has a clear, impenetrable ceiling shy of the Final Four. After all, he has not been to the national semifinals in more than two decades. Perhaps a breakthrough was never meant to be. But it is, frankly, astonishing that Barnes does not yet have a Final Four appearance at Tennessee considering how consistently elite his teams are. Three of the last four Volunteers squads ranked No. 5 in the final AP Top 25 poll, and all but one team was a top-five seed in the tournament. Given enough swings, Barnes may eventually hit a home run.
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