Rick Barnes is expected to become head coach at Tennessee. 

Barnes was let go by Texas after 17 seasons over the weekend.

The Longhorns made a trip to the Final Four in 2003, but his last Sweet 16 appearance came in 2008.

Barnes previously coached at George Mason, Providence and Clemson. 

Texas has fired Rick Barnes after 17 seasons with the school.

Barnes revealed that he had been told by athletic director Steve Patterson that he would be back for another season after Texas lost to Butler in the round of 64 of the NCAA tournament.

"The wins and losses are fleeting, but it's the relationships that matter," Barnes said at a 40-minute farewell news conference. "We know as a coach, this whole thing is about players. We've been blessed as a staff here to have so many players who have affected our lives."

Two coaches interested in the Texas opening and who will be in the mix to replace Barnes are Wichita State's Gregg Marshall and VCU's Shaka Smart, according to sources.

One source told ESPN that Patterson could go for an outside-the-box hire with NBA ties. Patterson has NBA connections as a former executive with the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers.

St. John's and Steve Lavin have mutually agreed to part ways after five seasons.

Lavin and the school were previously deep into extension talks. Lavin led St. John's to the second round of the tournament.

"Coach Lavin returned high expectations to our men's basketball program and represented St. John's in a positive way," St. John's athletic director Chris Monasch said in a statement Friday. "We appreciate his commitment to the program and to our student-athletes over the past five years."

St. John's is interested in former NBA player and St. John's star Chris Mullin as Lavin's replacement. Mullin, who led St. John's to the 1985 Final Four, works as an adviser for the Sacramento Kings.

John Calipari has become college basketball's most impactful coach during his tenure at Kentucky with a formula that has produced one national championship, two runner-up finishes and an undefeated season to date.

Calipari, however, did not succeed in his stint in the NBA with the New Jersey Nets.

"He desperately wants it," the front office official said about returning to the NBA. "He won’t say it out loud. The NBA is the only place he’s ever failed and it drives him nuts. He’s not the same guy he was then. He came to the NBA and he wasn’t ready. He’s ready now."

Calipari has remained close with Brett Yormark, CEO of the Nets.

The Nets could have $60 million in cap space in the summer of 2016, which coincides with the free agency of LeBron James and Kevin Durant.

"All these kids, if you look at a free agent list and check off the ones who he’s got a relationship with you could build an All-Star team," a person close to Calipari said. "Start with LeBron James."

Ben Howland has been hired as head coach of Mississippi State.

Howland was fired as head coach at UCLA after the 12-13 season, which included three Final Four appearances over 10 seasons.

Mississippi State hasn't been to the NCAA Tournament since 2009.

Jim Boeheim will retire as head coach of Syracuse in three years.

On March 6, the NCAA suspended Boeheim for nine ACC games, took away 12 scholarships, and ordered that 108 wins be vacated as a result of a multiyear investigation into the university's athletic programs. 

"Coach Boeheim has also told me that he intends to retire as Head Coach in three years," Syracuse chancellor Kent Syverud said. "His goal in making this decision and announcement now is to bring certainty to the team and program in the coming years, and enable and plan for a successful, longer-term transition in coaching leadership. Coach Boeheim's commitment to ensuring that the men's basketball program remains strong even after his tenure is just one more example of his deep loyalty to our University."