Tony Barone

Who is Tony Barone?

Anthony Andrew "Tony" Barone, Sr. is an American basketball coach and scout. A native of Chicago, he is the former head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association. Barone was appointed as the team's interim coach by Grizzlies general manager Jerry West after West fired Mike Fratello on December 28, 2006. Prior to landing his first head coaching job after Fratello's dismissal, Barone had served as an assistant coach for five seasons. Barone is also the Grizzlies' director of player personnel.

Barone was an Academic All-American while playing at Duke, where he graduated with a degree in English in 1971. He was previously the head coach at Creighton from 1985 to 1991. During his time at Creighton, Barone compiled a 102-82 record and led Creighton to two NCAA Tournament appearances. Barone was pursued by major Division I programs and took the head coach position at Texas A&M, where he led the team from 1991 to 1998. During his Texas A&M tenure, Barone compiled a record of 76–120 while having only one winning season. Barone was fired as head coach at Texas A&M following the 1997–98 season. He is a member of the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.