The Coaches Head Coach Panthers
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THE COACHES HEAD COACH PANTHERS HEAD COACH • THIRD YEAR AT GEORGIA STATE Alma Mater: Mississippi, 1988 A NEW ERA in Georgia State basketball is underway with former Naismith National Coach of the Year Rod Barnes at the helm of the Panther program. In his fi rst two seasons in Atlanta, Barnes has brought renewed energy and interest to the Georgia State program while laying the groundwork for future success with strong recruiting and an emphasis on work ethic and fundamentals. 50 2009-10 GEORGIA STATE BASKETBALL HEAD COACH PANTHERS RECORD AT GEORGIA STATE: 21-41 (3rd Year) ROD BARNES LEDGER CAREER RECORD: 162-150 (11th Year) Name: Rodrick K. Barnes ow in his third season at the helm, Rod Barnes looks Date of Birth: Nfor his Panthers to build on the momentum of their January 8, 1966 strong fi nish to the 2008-09 season. Georgia State posted a 12-20 record but won fi ve of its last seven games, with the Hometown: only losses coming to Colonial Athletic Association champion Satartia, Miss. and NCAA Tournament team VCU. State’s 8-10 record in Family: the CAA and eighth-place fi nish in league play represent its Married to the former Bridgett Davis best showing since joining the league four years ago, and the Three sons: Brandon, Bray and stepson Corey Panthers earned victories over three of the top fi ve teams in Education: the standings in Old Dominion, Northeastern and Hofstra. Mississippi, 1988 (B.A., Business Management) Guard Joe Dukes gave GSU an all-CAA honoree for the Bentonia (Miss.) High School second straight year. Th e versatile senior is one of three returning starters, along with sharp-shooting guard Trae Goldston and Playing Career: rugged forward Trey Hampton, also seniors. Th e Panthers return Four-year letterwinner at Ole Miss, 1985-88 a total of nine letterwinners and welcome a promising cast of All-SEC, Honorable mention All-America newcomers recruited by Barnes and his staff . Coaching Career: Th e positive infl uence that Barnes Head Coach, Georgia State, 2007-present (2 seasons) exerts on the Georgia State program Assistant Coach Oklahoma, 2006-07 (1 season) is evident off the court with strong Head Coach, Mississippi, 1998-06 (8 seasons) academic performance, community Assistant Coach, Mississippi, 1993-98 (5 seasons) outreach and media exposure. Assistant Coach, Livingston, 1990-93 (3 seasons) The Panthers have performed extremely well in the classroom since Coaching Honors: Barnes’ arrival. All four seniors who have 2001 SEC Coach of the Year completed their eligibility under Barnes 2001 Naismith National have graduated, and this year’s group of Coach of the Year six seniors are all on target to earn degrees in the coming year. Georgia State posted a grade point average of better than 2.8 for the 2008-09 year, including eight players at 3.0 or better and two student-athletes, Kevin Lott and Ousman Krubally, receiving the Colonial Athletic Association Commissioner’s Award. Barnes, who spent eight years as the head coach at the University of Mississippi, was tabbed by the Georgia State administration on March 19, 2007, aft er one year as an assistant coach at the University of Oklahoma. He was honored as the Naismith Coach of the Year as well as the Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year in 2000-01, when he led Ole Miss to its most successful season ever. His squad set a school-record for wins with a 27-8 record, advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 for the only time in school history and achieved a fi nal national ranking of No. 9 in the USA Today/ESPN coaches’ poll. Barnes, 43, is a 20-year veteran of college coaching who has averaged better than 16 wins per year in 10 seasons as a head coach. Th e former All-Southeastern Conference player at Ole Miss holds the distinction of being the only person in SEC history to earn All-SEC honors as a player and then be named SEC Coach of the Year. 2009-10 GEORGIA STATE BASKETBALL 51 HEAD COACH PANTHERS fi rst-round victory over Villanova. Two years later, the Rebels picked up NCAA Tournament wins over Iona and Notre Dame to reach the Sweet 16 for the fi rst and only time in Ole Miss history. In addition to coaching the only three NCAA Tournament victories in school history, Barnes was part of fi ve of the six NCAA appearances in Ole Miss annals as head or assistant coach, and he was on the bench for fi ve of the school’s fi rst seven 20-win seasons. Th e Rebels captured the SEC West division title three times during his 13 seasons in Oxford. Barnes coached the two teams that scored the most points in Ole Miss history with the 1998-99 team totalling 2,540 points and the 2000-01 team putting up 2,496 points. His accomplishments were also evident in his selection as an assistant coach for the 2001 USA Basketball team that competed in the World University Games in Beijing, China. During his tenure as head coach, four Rebel players garnered all-conference recognition, including 2001 all-American Rahim Lockhart. Several of his players earned professional basketball opportunities, ROD BARNES and Barnes took over the Georgia State program in including 2004 National Basketball Association draft his wife, Bridgett, 2007-08, and despite inheriting an undermanned squad pick Justin Reed. Barnes tutored another future NBA with sons Brandon in his fi rst season, he made the Panthers competitive standout, Ansu Sesay, as an Ole Miss assistant coach. (right) and Bray. in virtually every game of 2007-08 by stressing eff ort Barnes began his coaching career as an assistant and defense. State’s 9-21 record is deceiving because coach for three seasons (1990-93) at Livingston Barnes’ charges suff ered 10 losses by fi ve points or University, now known as the University of West fewer, including six defeats that came down to the fi nal Alabama, before returning to his alma mater in 1993. possession. Barnes’ personal philosophy stresses the The highlight of Barnes’ first season was a importance of seeing student-athletes graduate with stunning upset of conference champion and NCAA skills, interest and a desire to lead productive lives over Tournament participant George Mason. His first and above any athletic success. Georgia State squad featured a top-five scorer in the CAA in guard Leonard Mendez and a top-five STANDOUT PLAYER IN SEC BARNES with 2009 rebounder in forward Rashad Chase. Mendez earned third-team all-conference honors to become the arnes was a four-year letterwinner at Ole Miss, seniors Rashad Panthers’ fi rst all-CAA selection. Chase (left ) and Bplaying for head coaches Lee Hunt and Ed Murphy. One of just two players in school history to Leonard Mendez. FOUR POSTSEASON TRIPS AT OLE MISS score more than 1,000 points and have more than 400 Th e Panthers have assists, he was also the fi rst Ole Miss player to collect a 100 percent arnes compiled a 141-109 record in eight seasons 500 points, 100 rebounds and 100 assists in a season. graduation rate for Bat Ole Miss (1998-2006), guiding the Rebels to As a senior in 1988, he was an honorable mention four postseason bids, including three appearances in all-American by The Sporting News while earning Barnes’ fi rst two the NCAA Tournament. fi rst-team all-SEC honors from the coaches as well seasons. While producing three 20- as second-team accolades from Associated Press and win seasons, Barnes reached third-team mention from United Press International. the 100-win plateau in just Last winter, he was honored with his selection to fi ve seasons, faster than any the Ole Miss basketball All-Century team. Four players coach in school history. that Barnes coached during his tenure at Ole Miss He also spent fi ve seasons also made the list: Ansu Sesay, Keith Carter, Rahim as an assistant coach at Ole Lockhart and Justin Reed. Miss under Rob Evans before Barnes, who grew up on a farm in Satartia, Miss., being elevated to head coach led Bentonia High School to back-to-back state titles in on April 9, 1998. 1982-83 while earning all-state honors three times. Barnes made an immediate He is a 1988 graduate of Mississippi with a degree impact at the helm as his fi rst in business management. Ole Miss squad recorded the Barnes is married to the former Bridgett Davis fi rst NCAA Tournament win and has three sons, Brandon, Bray and stepson Corey. in school history with a 1999 Brandon is a freshman basketball player at Lipscomb University. 52 2009-10 GEORGIA STATE BASKETBALL HEAD COACH PANTHERS 2009-10 GEORGIA STATE BASKETBALL 53 HEAD COACH PANTHERS ROD BARNES LEDGER Season Position, School, Honors/Postseason ........................Record Head Coach, Career (10 seasons) ..................................................162-150 Head Coach, Georgia State University (2 seasons) ..........................21-41 2008-09 Head Coach, Georgia State ...............................................12-20 2007-08 Head Coach, Georgia State .................................................9-21 2006-07 Assistant Coach, Oklahoma .............................................16-15 Head Coach, University of Mississippi (8 seasons) ......................141-109 2005-06 Head Coach, Mississippi ...................................................14-16 2004-05 Head Coach, Mississippi ...................................................14-17 2003-04 Head Coach, Mississippi ...................................................13-15 2002-03 Head Coach, Mississippi ...................................................14-15 2001-02 Head Coach, Mississippi ...................................................20-11 NCAA (l. UCLA) 2000-01 Head Coach, Mississippi .....................................................27-8 SEC West Champions NCAA Sweet 16 (d. Iona; d. Notre Dame; l. Arizona) 1999-00 Head Coach, Mississippi ...................................................19-14 NIT (d. Charlotte; d.