New Tennessee State football coach Reggie Barlow has high expectations
New Tennessee State football coach Reggie Barlow hopes to continue the momentum the Tigers gained in 2024
- Barnett led TSU to three consecutive NAIA national championships (1957-1959) and was a three-time NAIA All-American.
- He played 14 seasons in the NBA, winning two championships with the New York Knicks, and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
Tennessee State basketball trailblazing player Dick Barnett, who also played 14 years in the NBA, died on April 26. He was 88.
Barnett became the first Black player named to the NAIA All-American team in 1957, playing at Tennessee A&I State University, which later was renamed Tennessee State. He made the All-America team again in 1958 and 1959 and became TSU’s all-time leading scorer with 3,209 career points.
Barnett led TSU to the NAIA national championship in 1957, 1958 and 1959. The team, which was the first to win three consecutive national championships, was inducted into Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019.
“Known for their fast-breaking and extreme discipline, they dominated their opponents with high scoring and smothering defense,” according to a release at the time from the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. “Led on the court by John ‘Rabbit’ Barnhill and Dick Barnett, the team also broke social barriers as they traveled to national tournaments and challenged segregation.”
Barnett was the most valuable player in the 1958 and 1959 NAIA national tournaments. He was inducted as an individual to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024.
Barnett, a Gary, Indiana native, was the fourth player selected in the first round of the 1959 NBA draft by the Syracuse Nationals. He played three seasons with Syracuse, two with the Cleveland Pipers (American Basketball League), three with the Los Angeles Lakers and nine with the New York Knicks.
He was an NBA All-Star in 1968 and helped lead the Knicks to the 1970 and 1973 NBA championships.
Barnett scored 15,358 career points in the NBA, had 2,812 rebounds and 2,729 assists.
Barnett’s No. 12 uniform number was retired by the Knicks. His No. 35 TSU uniform number was also retired by the school.
Along with basketball, Barnett was passionate about education. He earned a master’s degree from New York University and a doctorate in education from Fordham. He taught sports management at St. John’s and founded Fall Back Baby Productions, using his platform to inspire future generations through writing, speaking, and advocacy.
Services have not yet been announced.
Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.
