AUSTIN, Texas — Rick Barnes hopped off the Tennessee basketball bus about 90 minutes before tipoff Saturday at Texas’ Erwin Center.
His grandson Caleb was right behind him.
The pair walked the short distance to the arena tunnel as fans cheered. When the Vols coach waved in response, so did Caleb, his sidekick for the day.
“He is my guy,” Barnes said. “I just love him to death. He knows he has got me where he wants me.”
BARNES: How Tennessee basketball’s Rick Barnes was honored by Texas Longhorns during his return to Austin
Caleb celebrated turning 11 in a special way. He sat on the bench next to his grandfather during Tennessee basketball’s 52-51 loss at Texas on Saturday. It was all part of Barnes’ plan when he accepted ESPN’s desire to have the Vols and Longhorns matchup in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.
“Caleb is special for me,” Barnes said. “He is our first grandson.”
Caleb, who birthday was Thursday, is one of Rick and Candy Barnes’ four grandchildren. His daughter, Carley, and her husband, Josh Lickteig, adopted Caleb from Kampala, Uganda, in 2012. They named him Caleb Richard, after Barnes.
Barnes said his daughter and son-in-law had a heart for adoption before they got married. The process happened quickly.
“Austin Stone (Community Church) had a guy come in from Uganda was talking about there is this little young guy over in Uganda that was looking for a home,” Barnes said.
It was Caleb. Barnes met him for the first time at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. He recalled standing at the base of the escalators when he saw 16-month-old Caleb.
The Lickteigs, who still live in Austin, adopted again a couple years later, adding a daughter, Avery, to the family. They have since had two more daughters, Emma and Isla.
Barnes initially shared in September that Caleb’s birthday was a factor in his decision take on the matchup. He had declined returning to Texas previously but was receptive this time to return to Austin, where he coached the Longhorns for 17 seasons. He had a handful reasons for the change of heart, one of which was the timing around Caleb’s birthday and the opportunity to have him sit on the bench.
When Barnes stood at the edge of the scorer’s table watching Texas dribble up the court in the first half, Caleb leaned around to watch from his seat next to his grandfather. He trotted off the court behind the Vols as they headed down the tunnel for halftime.
Barnes was celebrated throughout the day Saturday from fans cheering when he got off the bus to a pregame video and short speech from Texas great T.J. Ford. But celebrating Caleb was on Barnes’ mind as he made the trip to Austin.
“His birthday made it special, too,” Barnes said.
Mike Wilson covers University of Tennessee athletics. Email him at michael.wilson@knoxnews.com and follow him on Twitter @ByMikeWilson. If you enjoy Mike’s coverage, consider a digital subscription that will allow you access to all of it.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee’s Rick Barnes soaked in grandson’s birthday in return to Texas