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Scott Barnes

Position: Athletics Director Phone: (435) 797-2060

Ask the AD

Since assuming the duties of Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at Utah State University on April 1, 2008, Scott Barnes has worked tirelessly to improve the landscape of Aggie Athletics and has cast a vision that includes progress toward meeting many intercollegiate athletic priorities. And despite the instability within the American economy since his arrival at USU, Barnes' list of accomplishments has generated a newfound hope and excitement for Utah State Athletics.

During his tenure, Barnes has successfully negotiated several new initiatives and has created a new intercollegiate athletics-funding plan that has generated a 33 percent increase in annual operating revenues since his arrival.

Among Barnes' many accomplishments thus far at Utah State include a new student-fee referendum that will annually generate $2.1 million for Aggie Athletics. He has also overhauled USU's development operations which led to an increase of over 30 percent in Big Blue Scholarship Fund membership and doubling of major gift fund-raising in his first year.

Another priority for Barnes during his first year on the job was improving the overall look of the football program. Plenty of progress has already been made in this area as Barnes conducted a very successful football coaching search that resulted in the hiring of Gary Andersen, and has already raised over $2 million toward a goal of $2.5 million to improve the football program through the creation of a Competitive Excellence Plan that calls for a new scheduling philosophy, increased operational support and further facilities developments.

As for facilities, Utah State continues to see constant improvement under Barnes with the completion of the new Jim & Carol Laub Athletics-Academics Complex and the Aggie Sports Hall of Honor in 2009. The new state-of-the-art off-court facilities complex within the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum was completed in the fall of 2009 as well. These enhancements include new locker rooms and lounge areas for men's and women's basketball, a new film room for women's basketball and volleyball and a new athletic training room.

Along with upgrades to facilities and increased revenue under Barnes, Utah State also flourished athletically during the 2009-10 academic year as it claimed Western Athletic Conference team championships in men's cross country, men's basketball and men's indoor and outdoor track and field. Overall, USU has won nine WAC Championships in the past two years under Barnes.

During the 2009-10 season, Utah State's men's basketball program won 27 games, claimed its third-straight WAC Championship and advanced to its 19th NCAA Tournament in school history. USU's track and field/cross country programs continued to dominate the WAC as men's cross country won its fifth-straight WAC Championship, men's indoor track won its second WAC title in the last three years and men's outdoor track won its third WAC Championship in the last four years.

Even more impressive than Utah State's athletic achievements during the past year are its continued successes by its student-athletes in the classroom. Overall, USU's student-athletes traditionally rank among the best in the WAC with an 85 percent graduation success rate and a cumulative 3.07 grade-point average. During the 2009-10 academic year, USU had 194 student-athletes earn academic all-WAC honors to lead the league and 157 were recognized at its annual Joe E. and Elma Whitesides Luncheon for earning a 3.2 or better GPA.

Utah State has also been recognized nationally under the leadership of Barnes as it was named the most economically efficient athletics department in the nation in June, 2009 following a study done by Texas A&M's Laboratory for the Study of Intercollegiate Athletics. Barnes himself has also garnered national attention as he has served on several NCAA committees including a recent appointment to the NCAA men's basketball committee. Barnes has been an active presenter at NACDA and has taught on the IA Athletic Directors Institute Faculty.

Prior to joining the Aggie Family, Barnes spent over two years (2005-07) as senior associate athletics director for advancement at the University of Washington and was responsible for all external operations for the athletics department with specific emphasis on fundraising, ticket sales, multi-media rights management, marketing, event promotion and communications.

Prior to working at Washington, Barnes spent six years (1999-2005) as the athletics director at Eastern Washington University. During his tenure at EWU, the Eagles experienced unparalleled success, becoming the first athletics program in Big Sky Conference history to win championships in football, men's basketball, women's volleyball and women's soccer in one calendar year. While at Eastern Washington, he hired six head coaches and witnessed four of them earn Big Sky Coach of the Year honors.

Barnes also had tremendous success at Eastern Washington increasing operating funds for the athletics department by securing the single-largest gift for athletics in EWU history for football stadium renovations and a $3 million university soft drink contract. During his time at Eastern Washington, Barnes was recognized by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) as the Division I-AA West Region AD of the Year.

Barnes began his career in athletics as the director of athletic development at the University of San Diego from 1989-90. From 1990-94, Barnes held the position of executive director of the Pacific Athletic Foundation and associate athletics director at the University of the Pacific. Barnes then spent the next four years at Iowa State University where he served as the director of athletic development from 1994-95 and then associate athletics director for development and special projects from 1995-97. Following his stint at Iowa State, Barnes served as athletics director at Humboldt State in Arcata, Calif., from 1997-99.

Barnes, 48, received his bachelor's degree from California State University, Fresno in 1986, as well as his master's degree in 1993 in physical education with an emphasis in athletic administration. He and his wife, Jody, were both student-athletes at Fresno State, as he was a member of the basketball team, while she was a member of the track team.

Barnes played professional basketball in Germany from 1985-86. He has also coached basketball at the high school and club levels and was the general manager of the Fresno Flames of the World Basketball League from 1988-89.

Barnes was born June 23, 1962 in Spokane, Wash. He and his wife, Jody, have one daughter, Milanna (14) and one son, Isaac (12).