Scott Barnes (athletic director)

Scott Barnes (born June 23, 1962) is the athletic director for the University of Pittsburgh. He was previously the AD at Utah State University. [1]

Career

During his tenure at USU, Barnes greatly increased funding for all Aggie sports, and oversaw the hiring of football coach Gary Andersen and the completion of the Jim & Carol Laub Athletics-Academics Complex on campus. He also worked to improve the public image and visibility of Aggie sports, which included inking deals with statewide and national TV stations, as well as a sponsorship deal with the Maverik chain of service stations, resulting in the renaming of the university's football stadium in April 2015.[2]

On May 8, 2013, Barnes was named chairman of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament's selection committee.[3]

His work has been recognized thus far with the awarding of the 2009 National Champion in the Excellence in Management Cup to USU, which award is given each year to the university athletics department that wins the most championships with the lowest expenses.[4] The Aggies brought in WAC championships in five sports during the 2008-09 academic year, tied for the most in school history. Barnes was also recently selected as a faculty member in the Division I Athletics Director Association Institute.

As Athletics Director, Barnes's work has been integral in improving the overall image of Utah State University itself, which image has taken a hit in recent years due to the futility of the football team. The New York Times quoted him as saying "Athletics are the front porch of the university. It’s not the most important room in the house, but it is the most visible."[5]

Before coming to USU, Barnes served as athletics director at Eastern Washington University. He has also held positions at the University of Washington and the University of San Diego. He attended Fresno State University, where he played basketball.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "Pitt to hire Utah State's Scott Barnes as athletic director". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Scott Barnes". Utah State University. Retrieved 1 March 2010.
  3. ↑ Kuznia, Roger. "Utah State's Scott Barnes named new NCAA Tournament selection committee chair". Sporting News. Retrieved 8 May 2013.
  4. ↑ "Utah State Wins National Championship for Most Economically Efficient Athletics Department". Aggie Town Square. Utah State University. Retrieved 13 January 2010.
  5. ↑ Longman, Jere (29 May 2009). "As Costs of Sports Rise, Students Balk at Fees" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved 1 March 2010.

External links