Sports

Georgia State fans are invited to listen to the Rod Barnes Radio Show every Monday from 4 – 5 pm.

Listeners can call in with their questions for Coach Barnes on the Newstalk 1160 hotline at 404-223-1160. Fans can also submit questions via email by clicking here.

About Coach Rod Barnes
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 first 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.

Now in his third season at the helm, Rod Barnes looks for his Panthers to build on the momentum of their strong finish to the 2008-09 season. Georgia State posted a 12-20 record but won five of its last seven games, with the only losses coming to Colonial Athletic Association champion and NCAA Tournament team VCU. State’s 8-10 record in the CAA and eighth-place finish in league play represent its best showing since joining the league four years ago, and the Panthers earned victories over three of the top five teams in the standings in Old Dominion, Northeastern and Hofstra.

Guard Joe Dukes gave GSU an all-CAA honoree for the second straight year. The versatile senior is one of three returning starters for 2009-10, along with sharp-shooting guard Trae Goldston and rugged forward Trey Hampton, also seniors. The Panthers return a total of nine letterwinners and welcome a promising cast of newcomers recruited by Barnes and his staff.

The positive influence that Barnes exerts on the Georgia State program is evident off the court with strong academic performance, community outreach and media exposure.

The Panthers have performed extremely well in the classroom since Barnes’ arrival. All four seniors who have completed their eligibility under Barnes have graduated, and this year’s group of 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, after 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 final 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. The 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.

Barnes took over the Georgia State program in 2007-08, and despite inheriting an undermanned squad in his first season, he made the Panthers competitive in virtually every game of 2007-08 by stressing effort and defense. State’s 9-21 record is deceiving because Barnes’ charges suffered 10 losses by five points or fewer, including six defeats that came down to the final possession.

The highlight of Barnes’ first season was a stunning upset of conference champion and NCAA Tournament participant George Mason. His first Georgia State squad featured a top-five scorer in the CAA in guard Leonard Mendez and a top-five rebounder in forward Rashad Chase. Mendez earned third-team all-conference honors to become the Panthers’ first all-CAA selection.

FOUR POSTSEASON TRIPS AT OLE MISS

Barnes compiled a 141-109 record in eight seasons at Ole Miss (1998-2006), guiding the Rebels to four postseason bids, including three appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

While producing three 20-win seasons, Barnes reached the 100-win plateau in just five seasons, faster than any coach in school history.

He also spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Ole Miss under Rob Evans before being elevated to head coach on April 9, 1998.

Barnes made an immediate impact at the helm as his first Ole Miss squad recorded the first NCAA Tournament win in school history with a 1999 first-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 first and only time in Ole Miss history.

In addition to coaching the only three NCAA Tournament victories in school history, Barnes was part of five of the six NCAA appearances in Ole Miss annals as head or assistant coach, and he was on the bench for five of the school’s first seven 20-win seasons. The 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, including 2004 National Basketball Association draft pick Justin Reed. Barnes tutored another future NBA standout, Ansu Sesay, as an Ole Miss assistant coach.

Barnes began his coaching career as an assistant coach for three seasons (1990-93) at Livingston University, now known as the University of West Alabama, before returning to his alma mater in 1993.

Barnes’ personal philosophy stresses the importance of seeing student-athletes graduate with skills, interest and a desire to lead productive lives over and above any athletic success.

STANDOUT PLAYER IN SEC

Barnes was a four-year letterwinner at Ole Miss, playing for head coaches Lee Hunt and Ed Murphy. One of just two players in school history to score more than 1,000 points and have more than 400 assists, he was also the first Ole Miss player to collect 500 points, 100 rebounds and 100 assists in a season.

As a senior in 1988, he was an honorable mention all-American by The Sporting News while earning first-team all-SEC honors from the coaches as well as second-team accolades from Associated Press and third-team mention from United Press International.

Last winter, he was honored with his selection to the Ole Miss basketball All-Century team. Four players that Barnes coached during his tenure at Ole Miss also made the list: Ansu Sesay, Keith Carter, Rahim Lockhart and Justin Reed.

Barnes, who grew up on a farm in Satartia, Miss., led Bentonia High School to back-to-back state titles in 1982-83 while earning all-state honors three times.

He is a 1988 graduate of Mississippi with a degree in business managemen.

Barnes is married to the former Bridgett Davis and has three sons, Brandon, Bray and stepson Corey. Brandon is a freshman basketball player at Lipscomb University.