Scott Barnes has served as the leader of Briar Cliff's track and field and cross country teams since the 2018-19 athletic year.
Since his arrival at Briar Cliff, Barnes has helped the Chargers to 12 individual GPAC champions, 32 national qualifying events, 12 All-Americans, two individual national runner-ups and three individual national championships. Barnes helped guide Ben Jefferies to the 2021 and 2022 indoor 400 national championship and the 2022 outdoor 400 championship. The Chargers have also had two Midwest Regional Athletes of the Year.
As a team, the Chargers have placed 13th and 26th at the Men's Indoor Track and Field National Championships in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Briar Cliff also finished 26th at the 2022 Men's Outdoor Track and Field National Championship meet.
Barnes came to Briar Cliff after serving as the head coach for men's and women's track and field and cross country at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa since February 2014. Under Barnes, the Indian Hills cross country roster increased from eight to 50 in only two years and he established the entire track and field program. His cross country teams have had seven 11 All-Region Runners and 15 Academic All-Americans while the team was ranked 24th in the NJCAA Cross Country Poll in 2015 and the women's team placed 20th at the NJCAA National Championship in 2016. Barnes' men's cross country team has the highest NJCAA GPA in the country in 2015 and was fourth in 2014, while the women's team was seventh in 2017 and third in 2014.
Prior to his time at Indian Hills, Barnes had stints at Muskegon Community College in Muskegon, Michigan, Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan and Beal City High School in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. He served as the assistant cross country coach at Muskegon and helped the men's team place 14th at the national championships and the women were 25th at nationals. Barnes was the assistant cross country and track coach at Grand Valley State where the men's track team placed fourth at the NCAA National Championships and the women's cross country team was the DII National Champions in 2012. His time at Beal City was spent as the varsity track coach and assistant cross country coach. Barnes was responsible for scheduling, hiring assistant coaches, implementing a program, fundraising, recording stats and monitoring eligibility in the classroom.
Barnes has a MS degree in Athletic Administration from Arkansas State University and holds a Bachelor of Secondary Education and Physical Education with a minor in Health from Central Michigan University. He competed in track at Central Michigan where he was an Academic All-Conference selection and was a Mid-American Championship Qualifier for the mile, conference point scorer and the distance medley relay in 2008. Barnes is also First Aid CPR certified and has his USATF Level 1 Coaching Certificate.
Scott is married to Kylie Barnes, who works with the Briar Cliff Financial Aid Department. They have three sons Bodhi, Ripley and Rowdy.
