Emerald Youth Foundation hosts Rick Barnes Golf Tournament
By Ken Lay
The University of Tennessee men’s basketball team began preparations for the 2026-27 season last week.
But before the Vols started practice, the Emerald Youth Foundation hosted one of its biggest annual fundraisers, the Rick Barnes Emerald Youth Golf Classic at Holston Hills on Monday, Sept. 21.
For 11 years, Barnes has had his name associated with the event. He’s also been on the board of directors for the foundation for several years.
“When I first came here, I wanted to be involved in the community,” said Barnes, who is in his 12th year as Tennessee’s head coach. “I’m a basketball coach. That’s what I do, and it gives me a platform.
“When I first got here, I talked to Mr. (Jim) Haslam and he told me about Emerald Youth, and I met with (CEO) Steve Diggs and I became involved.”
The Emerald Youth Foundation seemed to be the perfect fit for Barnes, who grew up as a latch-key kid in Hickory, North Carolina.
“Emerald Youth serves our city, and it gives kids a safe place to go and grow,” he said. “I grew up a latch-key kid in Hickory, and I had a place to go that was similar to Emerald Youth.
“It was a place where I went, and I had teachers and coaches who made a big impact on my life.”
After the golf tournament, the Vols officially began practice on Tuesday. Tennessee is coming off three deep postseason runs as they reached the Elite 8 of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament.
And Barnes has high hopes for the 2026-27 campaign, which begins with a pair of exhibition games. Tennessee will host Xavier on Oct. 15 before traveling to Duke on Oct. 20. Tennessee begins the regular season when it hosts Wofford on Nov. 3 at Food City Center.
“We have a good group. Everything is positive, and these guys want to win,” Barnes said. “I don’t know if they really know what it takes to win at this level, but they want to win.”
