Gary Barnett
Encyclopedia
Gary Barnett is a former American football
player and coach. He served as the head coach at Fort Lewis College
(1982–1983), Northwestern University
(1992–1998), and the University of Colorado at Boulder
(1999–2005), compiling a career college football
record of 92–94–2. His 1995 Northwestern team
won the Big Ten Conference
title, the first for the program since 1936, and played in the school's first Rose Bowl
since 1949. At Colorado, Barnett was suspended briefly in the 2004 offseason due to events stemming from allegations of sexual misconduct by several members of the football team.
in Chesterfield, Missouri
and graduated from the University of Missouri
in 1969 with a bachelors degree in social studies
. He continued on to get his masters degree in 1971 in education
. Barnett played wide receiver
for Missouri from 1966–1969. He lettered his senior year under coach Dan Devine
.
as a graduate assistant from 1969–1971 under coach Al Onofrio
. After he graduated, he was a successful high school coach at Air Academy High School
in Colorado Springs, Colorado
for 11 years, nine as head coach. His teams won six conference titles and reached the state semi-finals twice, in 1980 and 1981. Barnett then began his head coaching at Fort Lewis College
in Durango, Colorado
. After two seasons as head coach, he left on February 20, 1984 to become an assistant coach at Colorado
under Bill McCartney
. Barnett was the running back
s coach for his first season, but switched to quarterback
s and fullback
s for the next seven seasons. On December 3, 1990, he was promoted to offensive coordinator
. His first game coordinating the offense was against Notre Dame in the 1991 Orange Bowl
, which Colorado won to earn their first, and only, national championship.
title and the 1996 Rose Bowl
, their first since 1949. The Wildcats lost 41–32 to USC
. The following year, the Wildcats reached the Florida Citrus Bowl
, losing 48–28 to Tennessee
. Barnett turned a program holding the record for longest losing streak in Division I-A into a championship caliber organization.
Katie Hnida
, who alleged that she had been raped by a teammate, led to Barnett's temporary suspension in 2004 during the off-season. Barnett was reinstated before the start of the 2004 season, and went on to coach the team to an 8–5 record, earning Big 12
Coach of the Year honors along the way.
Barnett continued as coach in 2005, leading the Buffaloes to a 7–2 start. However, the Buffs narrowly lost to Iowa State
, then suffered a 30-3 thrashing at the hands of Nebraska and a 70–3 blowout by the eventual national champion Texas Longhorns
in the Big 12 championship game. Additionally, an anonymous tipster wrote a letter to CU system president Hank Brown
accusing Barnett of numerous improprieties, including tampering with sworn testimony.
On December 9, 2005, Barnett was forced to resign and accepted a $3 million buyout. Colorado then went on to play in the Champs Sports Bowl
losing to Clemson
. The loss is officially credited to Barnett, even though assistant Mike Hankwitz served as interim head coach for the game.
Colorado was the Big 12 North Champion 4 of the 7 years under Barnett, and Big 12 Champion one of those years (2001). Colorado was also ranked #2 in the nation and part of a controversy with the BCS
Poll in the 2001 season when the Nebraska Cornhuskers
were selected ahead of Oregon and Colorado for the National Championship game, even though Colorado had just beat Nebraska 62–36.
In June 2007, the Buffaloes were placed under probation for two years and fined $
100,000 for undercharging 133 student-athletes for meals over a six year span (2000–01 to 2005–06 encompassing Barnett's tenure at Colorado) resulting in the major infraction. The football program, with 86 of the 133 student-athletes involved, also lost one scholarship for the next three seasons.
in 2006. Barnett also is a commentator for Sports USA.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player and coach. He served as the head coach at Fort Lewis College
Fort Lewis College
Fort Lewis College is a public liberal arts college in Durango, Colorado.-History:Military FortThe original site of Fort Lewis College began southwest of its present location back in 1880. Set up originally as a Military Fort for the 22nd Regimental Infantry which occupied the land from...
(1982–1983), Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
(1992–1998), and the University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
(1999–2005), compiling a career college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
record of 92–94–2. His 1995 Northwestern team
1995 Northwestern Wildcats football team
The 1995 Northwestern Wildcats football team represented Northwestern University in the 1995 NCAA Division I-A college football season.-Season:...
won the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
title, the first for the program since 1936, and played in the school's first Rose Bowl
1996 Rose Bowl
The 1996 Rose Bowl was the 82nd Rose Bowl Game. It was the 50th game in the series featuring the Big Ten Conference and the Pacific-10 Conference. The USC Trojans defeated the Northwestern Wildcats 41-32 on the strength of two touchdown passes from USC QB Brad Otton to WR Keyshawn Johnson...
since 1949. At Colorado, Barnett was suspended briefly in the 2004 offseason due to events stemming from allegations of sexual misconduct by several members of the football team.
Early life and playing career
Barnett attended Parkway Central High SchoolParkway Central High School
Parkway Central High School is a secondary school located in Chesterfield, Missouri. The school's mascot is the Colt. Parkway Central High School is the original high school in the Parkway School District in St. Louis County. It serves 1,353 students in grades 9-12...
in Chesterfield, Missouri
Chesterfield, Missouri
Chesterfield is a second-ring western suburb of St. Louis and is the largest city in west St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. As of the 2010 census the population is 47,484. Chesterfield also celebrated its 20th birthday in 2008.- Geography :...
and graduated from the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
in 1969 with a bachelors degree in social studies
Social studies
Social studies is the "integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence," as defined by the American National Council for the Social Studies...
. He continued on to get his masters degree in 1971 in education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
. Barnett played wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for Missouri from 1966–1969. He lettered his senior year under coach Dan Devine
Dan Devine
Daniel John Devine was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach football coach at Arizona State University from 1955 to 1957, the University of Missouri from 1958 to 1970, and the University of Notre Dame from 1975 to 1980, compiling a career college football mark of...
.
Early coaching career
Barnett started his coaching career at the University of MissouriUniversity of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
as a graduate assistant from 1969–1971 under coach Al Onofrio
Al Onofrio
Albert Joseph "Al" Onofrio was the head football coach at the University of Missouri from 1971 to 1977. During his tenure he compiled a 38-41 record. He spent 12 years on the Missouri staff, as an assistant as well. He is notable for having pulled upsets, mainly on the road...
. After he graduated, he was a successful high school coach at Air Academy High School
Air Academy High School
Air Academy High School is a public high school that serves the northwestern end of Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States. Air Academy is currently ranked number 3 in the state for its academic high standards...
in Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado, United States. Colorado Springs is located in South-Central Colorado, in the southern portion of the state. It is situated on Fountain Creek and is located south of the Colorado...
for 11 years, nine as head coach. His teams won six conference titles and reached the state semi-finals twice, in 1980 and 1981. Barnett then began his head coaching at Fort Lewis College
Fort Lewis College
Fort Lewis College is a public liberal arts college in Durango, Colorado.-History:Military FortThe original site of Fort Lewis College began southwest of its present location back in 1880. Set up originally as a Military Fort for the 22nd Regimental Infantry which occupied the land from...
in Durango, Colorado
Durango, Colorado
The City of Durango is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of La Plata County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau said that the city population was 16,887 in 2010 census.-History:...
. After two seasons as head coach, he left on February 20, 1984 to become an assistant coach at Colorado
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
under Bill McCartney
Bill McCartney
William Paul McCartney is a former American football player and coach and the founder of the Promise Keepers men's ministry. He was the head coach at the University of Colorado from 1982 to 1994, where he compiled a record of 93–55–5 and won three consecutive Big Eight Conference...
. Barnett was the running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
s coach for his first season, but switched to quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
s and fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
s for the next seven seasons. On December 3, 1990, he was promoted to offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
. His first game coordinating the offense was against Notre Dame in the 1991 Orange Bowl
1991 Orange Bowl
The 1991 Orange Bowl was a 1990–1991 college football bowl game that was played on January 1, 1991, for the national championship. The 57th edition of the Orange Bowl featured the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and the Colorado Buffaloes. Colorado came into the game with a 10–1–1 record and #1 AP...
, which Colorado won to earn their first, and only, national championship.
Northwestern
Later in 1991, he left Colorado to become the head coach at Northwestern, then a perennial doormat team. In 1995, Barnett led Northwestern to the Big Ten ConferenceBig Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
title and the 1996 Rose Bowl
1996 Rose Bowl
The 1996 Rose Bowl was the 82nd Rose Bowl Game. It was the 50th game in the series featuring the Big Ten Conference and the Pacific-10 Conference. The USC Trojans defeated the Northwestern Wildcats 41-32 on the strength of two touchdown passes from USC QB Brad Otton to WR Keyshawn Johnson...
, their first since 1949. The Wildcats lost 41–32 to USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. The following year, the Wildcats reached the Florida Citrus Bowl
Capital One Bowl
The Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl...
, losing 48–28 to Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
. Barnett turned a program holding the record for longest losing streak in Division I-A into a championship caliber organization.
Colorado
In 1999, Barnett left Northwestern after eight seasons to become the 22nd head coach of Colorado. His on-field career at Colorado was mostly successful; however, his reputation was tarnished by a recruiting scandal, insensitive off-field remarks and failure to maintain the on-field success of his predecessors. Colorado was alleged to have enticed recruits to come to Colorado with sex and alcohol during recruiting visits causing the school to self-impose harsher recruiting rules than any other Division I-A school. That scandal, coupled with Barnett's dismissive comments about former placekickerPlacekicker
Placekicker, or simply kicker , is the title of the player in American and Canadian football who is responsible for the kicking duties of field goals, extra points...
Katie Hnida
Katie Hnida
Katharine Anne "Katie" Hnida is an American football player who became the first woman to score in an NCAA Division I-A game, college football's highest level...
, who alleged that she had been raped by a teammate, led to Barnett's temporary suspension in 2004 during the off-season. Barnett was reinstated before the start of the 2004 season, and went on to coach the team to an 8–5 record, earning Big 12
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
Coach of the Year honors along the way.
Barnett continued as coach in 2005, leading the Buffaloes to a 7–2 start. However, the Buffs narrowly lost to Iowa State
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
, then suffered a 30-3 thrashing at the hands of Nebraska and a 70–3 blowout by the eventual national champion Texas Longhorns
2005 Texas Longhorn football team
The 2005 Texas Longhorn football team represented the University of Texas at Austin during the 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season, winning the Big 12 Conference championship and the national championship. The team was coached by Mack Brown, led on offense by quarterback Vince Young, and played...
in the Big 12 championship game. Additionally, an anonymous tipster wrote a letter to CU system president Hank Brown
Hank Brown
George Hanks "Hank" Brown is a former Republican politician and U.S. Senator from Colorado who served as president of the University of Colorado system from April 2005 - January 2008.-Education:...
accusing Barnett of numerous improprieties, including tampering with sworn testimony.
On December 9, 2005, Barnett was forced to resign and accepted a $3 million buyout. Colorado then went on to play in the Champs Sports Bowl
Champs Sports Bowl
The Champs Sports Bowl is an annual college football bowl game that is played in Orlando, Florida, at the Citrus Bowl. The bowl is operated by Florida Citrus Sports, a non-profit group which also organizes the Capital One Bowl and Florida Classic...
losing to Clemson
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
. The loss is officially credited to Barnett, even though assistant Mike Hankwitz served as interim head coach for the game.
Colorado was the Big 12 North Champion 4 of the 7 years under Barnett, and Big 12 Champion one of those years (2001). Colorado was also ranked #2 in the nation and part of a controversy with the BCS
Bowl Championship Series
The Bowl Championship Series is a selection system that creates five bowl match-ups involving ten of the top ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision , including an opportunity for the top two to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.The BCS relies on a combination of...
Poll in the 2001 season when the Nebraska Cornhuskers
Nebraska Cornhuskers
The Nebraska Cornhuskers is the name given to several sports teams of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference...
were selected ahead of Oregon and Colorado for the National Championship game, even though Colorado had just beat Nebraska 62–36.
In June 2007, the Buffaloes were placed under probation for two years and fined $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
100,000 for undercharging 133 student-athletes for meals over a six year span (2000–01 to 2005–06 encompassing Barnett's tenure at Colorado) resulting in the major infraction. The football program, with 86 of the 133 student-athletes involved, also lost one scholarship for the next three seasons.
After coaching
Barnett operates the Gary Barnett Foundation, which was formed in February 2005. The foundation is a tax-exempt, non-profit organization dedicated to the support of educational programs for economically disadvantaged and at-risk youth. There were rumors that Missouri was considering hiring Barnett during the 2005 season. Barnett began working as a TV commentator for the BCS show on Fox Sports NetFox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
in 2006. Barnett also is a commentator for Sports USA.