INDIANAPOLIS — Tennessee coach Rick Barnes left open the possibility his next loss could be his final game on the sideline as the Vols prepare to face Kentucky in the Sweet 16 on Friday night.

Barnes said at Lucas Oil Stadium on Thursday afternoon he is following faith to decide whether to continue coaching as rumors swirl he informed the university of his plans to retire.

“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,” Barnes said. “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.”

Barnes has Tennessee in the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive year. He has 835 coaching wins.

Barnes said he made a comment to senior point guard Zakai Zeigler after an initial report of his imminent retirement that it would be “hard coaching without a guy like that.”

“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,” Barnes said. “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.”