Former Longhorn assistant Rob Lanier is back on Rick Barnes' staff. On balance, this is a good hire.

Lanier left the Longhorns in 2001 to coach Siena for five years (he was eventually let go) followed by assistant stints at Virginia and Florida, where he has been since 2007.

Lanier is an outstanding recruiter (he's credited with Kenny Boynton at Florida and was the primary on TJ Ford) and has a reputation as a personable, dynamic guy with solid evaluation skills. I can't speak for his abilities as a bench coach, but as a former head coach and a Barnes' assistant from the old days, he provides the staff with a much needed voice to provide Rick with differing perspectives. Particularly those opinions that may be unsolicited or unwanted. On the negative side, such as it is, there's no evidence that he's an offensive guru.

This solidifies Barnes' bench as one of the better recruiting staffs in the country. Whether they can develop and mold that talent as effectively as they did early in Barnes' tenure remains to be seen.

Welcome back, Rob.