INDIANAPOLIS — It's impossible to avoid the rumors swirling around Tennessee's basketball program.

Is this Rick Barnes' final year coaching the Vols?

In a press conference before Tennessee squares off with Kentucky in the Sweet 16, Barnes shot down these comments.

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In fact, Barnes hasn't even thought about it.

Instead, he pointed at God pointing him to Tennessee after he was fired from Texas.

"I haven't thought about it," Barnes said. "You know what? My last press conference at Texas, when I was fired, the last question someone asked me was, do you think you'll coach again. And I had already accepted the University of Tennessee job. I made the comment, yeah, probably sooner than you think. And I literally walked out of that press conference, got on a plane and went to Knoxville. At the time, when something like that happens, the movement parts, in/out, you're somewhat numb. But I made the comment that, the athletic director at the time, Steve Patterson, fired me. He didn't really fire me; he just carried out what God wanted him to do because I truly believe that God brought me to Knoxville for a reason."

When looking at what his future in Knoxville looks like, Barnes is once again looking to God.

At the moment, He hasn't given Barnes any sign that it's time to hang it up.

"Everything that I do I want to live on that platform," Barnes said. "It's the most important thing to me. It's more important than winning that game tomorrow. And I think God will make it perfectly clear when he wants me to step down and my time will be up. But it's not now.

MORE FROM VOLREPORT: Everything Rick Barnes, Tennessee players said before facing Kentucky

"If it is, I don't feel that. But I love coaching basketball. I love being around it. I know right now how hard we're working right now. We've already had a young man on campus after we got back Saturday, Sunday, we had a young man on campus that committed to us. We're already planning to have a team next year. I fully plan to be a part of it. And, again, I think when my time's up, I truly believe God will make it clear to me where he wants me to go next and do next. But I haven't thought about that in the least bit."

Barnes thinks he knows where the rumor stems from. He made a comment earlier in the year about Zakai Zeigler and that he doesn't know what he's going to do when the senior point guard is gone.

He points to that moment of when he may have accidentally pointed people to this conclusion.

"I think when that happened when that rumor started, I made a comment about Zakai, I said it would be hard coaching without a guy like that," Barnes said "I meant that, but I could have said that about my first point guard at George Mason 30 some years ago Amp Davis. I loved coaching him.

"And I think after that, people thought because I'm a young guy now, that it might be my last year. But the fact is, I've put it all in God's hands. I'll know because he'll make it clear to me."

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