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Lehi boys' basketball coach Bob Barnes confirmed his decision to step away from his position to The Salt Lake Tribune early Wednesday morning. He was 23-44 in three years at the helm of the Pioneers' program.
"It was all my decision. I just thought it was time to let somebody else take the job here," said Barnes, who also spent eight years as an assistant coach at Lehi. "I felt like the last few weeks of the season it started weighing on me."
Lehi started the 2014-15 season with an 8-0 record — its best start in more than a decade — highlighted by several come-from-behind victories, including its thrilling 75-72 win against eventual Region 8 champion Maple Mountain in mid-December.
"It's something that really makes me feel good," Barnes said of the excitement generated for Lehi basketball by the win against the Golden Eagles. "I played here. I'm from Lehi. I really have a passion for the program. It was hard to step away from it."
The Pioneers' first loss — a lopsided setback against Class 3A's Juan Diego — unraveled the early success, as they lost 12 of their 15 remaining games, most occurring in Region 4 — arguably the toughest region in the state.
"I definitely think we've made some good strides," Barnes said. "We did better this year; we lost a lot of close games in region. Our younger teams really did well, even in region. I think the program is definitely headed in the right direction."
Lehi returns a talented base of underclassmen, with Tanner Nygren, Marcus Draney, Tyson Rupp and Chase Berry all with remaining eligibility.
According to Barnes, Lehi has officially opened the job, which will close next Friday before interviews commence.
— Trevor Phibbs
Twitter: @trevorphibbs