J. D. Barnett

J. D. Barnett (born January 10, 1944)

Teams coached: Lenoir-Rhyne Bears, High Point Panthers, Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, VCU Rams, Tulsa Golden Hurricane, Northwestern State Demons, Hawaii Pacific Sharks
High Point record: 13-16 (.448)
Louisiana Tech record: 23-29 (.442)
VCU record: 132-48 (.733)
Tulsa record: 106-75 (.586)
Northwestern State record: 55-79 (.410)
Overall record^: 356-272 (.567)

Career Accomplishments:

Awards:

Coaching Career (head coach, unless noted):

2004-2005 Hawaii Pacific
1994-1999 Northwestern State
1985-1991 Tulsa
1979-1985 VCU
1977-1979 Louisiana Tech
1973-1977 West Texas State (asst)
1971-1972 High Point
1970-1971 Lenoir-Rhyne

J. D. Barnett Facts

  • Joseph Donald Barnett
  • Born January 10, 1944
  • Hometown: Meadville, Missouri
  • Alma Mater: Winona State College (BA, 1966 & MA, 1968)
  • Played baseball and basketball at Winona State, where he was later inducted into the WSU Athletic Hall of Fame (2002)
  • First coaching jobs were for one season each as head coach at Division II programs Lenoir-Rhyne and (now Div I) High Point
  • Spent four years as an assistant at West Texas State before taking over at Louisiana Tech for two seasons
  • Moved on to VCU in 1979 and went to his first NCAA Tournament in 1980 as the Rams’ head coach
    • Lead the Rams to the NCAA Tournament five times in six years, winning four Sun Belt titles during his tenure
  • Became the head coach at Tulsa in 1985, leading the Golden Hurricane to the NCAAT in each of his first two seasons there
    • Was let go after two straight first round NIT exits, which were preceded by two years without a postseason berth
  • Was the AD at Tulsa Union HS for three years in between head coaching jobs
  • Returned to the college ranks in 1994, serving as the head coach and associate AD at Northwestern State for five years
    • Went 55-79 as the Demons’ head coach but did not reach the postseason
  • Left Northwestern State in 1999 but continued his administrative career with a four-year stint as Tulane’s associate AD
  • Final basketball job was a one-year stop as AD and head coach at Division II Hawaii Pacific
    • The Sharks went 10-16 in Barnett’s lone season at the helm

J. D. Barnett Coaching Tree

  • Duggar Baucom (The Citadel, VMI, Tusculum)
  • Maurice Cheeks (Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers, Portland Trail Blazers)
  • Kevin Eastman (Washington State, UNC Wilmington)
  • Gary Garner (Dakota State, Southeast Missouri State, Fort Hays State, Drake)
  • David Hobbs (Alabama)
  • Ron Jirsa (Marshall, Georgia)
  • Phil Johnson (UTEP, San Jose State)
  • Kevin O’Neill (USC, Arizona, Toronto Raptors, Northwestern, Tennessee, Marquette)
  • Steve Payne (Tennessee Tech)
  • Byron Samuels (Florida A&M, Radford, Hampton)
  • Flip Saunders (Minnesota Timberwolves, Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons)
  • Tubby Smith (High Point, Memphis, Texas Tech, Minnesota, Kentucky, Georgia, Tulsa)
  • Mike Sutton (Tennessee Tech)
  • Kelly Wells (Pikeville, Hawaii Pacific)
  • Jim Wooldridge (UC Riverside, Kansas State, Louisiana Tech, Texas State, Central Missouri)

 

^ overall record includes head coaching positions at both the NCAA Division I and Division II levels