On March 5, 2018, Richard Barron was named the the 22nd head coach of Maine men’s basketball.
Barron previously served as a Special Assistant to the Director Athletics at UMaine since December 1, 2017. He was the head coach of the UMaine women’s basketball team from 2011 to 2017 before taking a medical leave of absence in January 2017.
In 2018-19, Barron will enter his 18
th season as a head coach. As head coach of the UMaine women’s team, he brought the program back to its winning ways, putting together a winning season in his third season in 2013-14. Barron put together back-to-back 20 win seasons in 2014-15 and 2015-16, and was named the America East Coach of the Year after the 2015 season.
The Black Bears went to the postseason for three consecutive seasons after going 4-24 in 2013-14. In seven seasons at Maine, Barron compiled a record of 85-89, along with an overall head coaching record of 232-228. In the America East, Barron owns a record of 46-34 and two regular season championships.
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Richard Barron has an impressive track record of success throughout his career," said former UMaine Athletic Director Karlton Creech. "His skill as a basketball coach is unquestioned. Richard has an incredible basketball IQ, and the ability to share that knowledge through coaching and teaching. Under his leadership, our men's basketball student-athletes will learn and grow.
"Richard's previous success as our women's basketball coach makes him uniquely qualified to understand what it takes to build a program here at UMaine," Creech continued. "We are excited that Richard and his family will remain involved, valuable members of this community."
The 2018-19 season won’t be Barron’s first coaching men. His first collegiate coaching position from 1991-95 was an assistant coach for the University of the South-Sewanee men’s team. He took his first head coaching position the following season, taking the helm of the University of the South-Sewanee women’s team, where he posted a 77-48 record.
Following the 2015-16 seasons, in which Barron guided the Black Bears back to their second-straight WNIT berth after capturing another America East regular season title, Barron agreed to a four-year extension with the University of Maine
It was upward and onward in 2015-16 under Barron’s leadership as the Black Bears continued the climb to greatness. The team that had regained respect throughout the Northeast was now opening eyes on a national level as Maine earned a No. 14 ranking in the College Insider Mid-Major Top-25. Barron’s defensive philosophy proved to be one of the top in the country as Maine finished the season ranked as the No. 5 rated team in terms of scoring defense, limiting opponents to just 51.1 points per game. The Black Bears built off their defensive success as Barron guided Maine to its first back-to-back 20+ win season since 2003-04, 2004-05.
The year would see Maine reach the America East Championship game and once again return to the WNIT after a 26 win campaign, one short of the school record. The Black Bears went undefeated on their home court, moving their home win streak to 19-0. The home crowds continued to grow as Maine was top in the conference and second in New England, only to UConn, in attendance (2,008).
Barron’s mentoring throughout the 2014-15 season guided the Black Bears to their highest achievement of success in over 10 years as Maine reached the 20-win plateau for the first time since 2004-05 and totaled its highest amount of wins (23) in 11 years. The success of 2014-15 brought Maine back into the national picture as it reached a #19 ranking in the College Insider Mid-Major Top-25, returned to the WNIT for the first time since 2005 and captured the 2015 America East Regular Season Co-Championship.
Maine’s success on the court continued to be matched by its community service and academic efforts. The Black Bears finished the year with the 24th best GPA in the nation (3.399) while spending countless hours off the court giving back to the Black Bear Nation community.
It took Barron just three year’s to return the Black Bears to the winning ways which they were so used to in year’s past. In his third season at the helm of the team, Barron led Maine to a 17-15 record, a 10-6 league record and its first postseason win since 1999; a 77-47 home drubbing of Bucknell in the opening round of the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI). Maine’s 17 wins was a +13 over the previous season; one of the top three turnarounds in the country in terms of win totals. Maine’s total wins (17) and America East conference victories (10) were its most since the 2004-05 season. The Black Bears finished fourth in the league standings; their highest regular season finishing mark since placing first in 2005.
Barron’s offensive guidance produced several record-breaking accolades including setting a new mark for most 3-point field goals made in a season in both the team and league record books and tied the mark for 3-point field goals made in a single game (14 at UMBC). Maine’s offense improved +10.0 points per game (65.2); the highest points per game mark since the 2002-03 season.
In his second season with Maine, Barron worked to develop one of the youngest squads in all of NCAA basketball. His first recruiting class welcomed nine student-athletes to the Black Bears, led by freshman forward Liz Wood who Barron helped develop into the America East Co-Rookie of the Year.
In his first year as a Black Bear, Coach Barron doubled Maine’s overall and conference wins from a season ago while leading the team to its first postseason victory since 2006. Along the way, Coach Barron helped a pair of players to All-Conference honors as Samantha Baranowski was named to the All-America East Third Team and rookie Danielle Walczak was honored to the America East All-Rookie squad.
Following the 2011-12 season, Coach Barron proved to Black Bear nation why he is known for his fantastic recruiting. Coach Barron, along with his staff, introduced a nine-member 2012-13 signing class to the University of Maine, which received national attention as the class was ranked 36th best in the nation by Blue Star Basketball’s National Scouting director Chris Mennig.
Off the court, Coach Barron made sure the Black Bears were involved in a variety of activities within the community in terms of public service, fundraising efforts and charity events with the most memorable moment off the court coming when the Black Bears and Coach Barron teamed up to raise over $10,000 dollars for the Play4Kay Breast Cancer Foundation.
Barron came to the University of Maine women’s team after a two-year stint at North Carolina State where he served as an assistant coach under Kellie Harper. In Barron’s first year with the Wolfpack, the Tennessee native helped guide the team to the NCAA Tournament with a 20-14 record. A team that was predicted to finish ninth in the preseason, ended up finishing tied for fifth in the ACC standings while making it to the 2010 ACC Tournament Finals.
Barron is well renowned for his fantastic recruiting as he spent two seasons at Baylor prior to his time at NC State as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator with the Bears. During his time at Baylor, Barron was responsible for landing the consensus top-ranked player (Brittney Griner) and the top ranked recruiting class of 2009 while also assisting in coaching the Bears to the Big 12 Tournament Championship.
Baylor compiled a 54-13 record to go along with two trips to the NCAA tournament, including a run to the Sweet 16 in 2008-09; in the two seasons Barron was with the Bears’ staff.
Barron began his Division I head coaching career at Princeton as he spent six seasons at the helm of the Tigers’ program. After taking over the program fresh off a 2-25 season prior to his arrival, Barron guided the Tigers to an 11-16 record in his first season, making Princeton one of the most improved teams in the country that year. During his six years at Princeton, Barron managed the Tigers to an Ivy League title in 2005-06, setting a school record for overall wins (21-7) and conference wins (12-2). Barron mentored five different players to All-Ivy League honors while at Princeton.
Before his time at Princeton, Barron spent five seasons at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn, compiling a 77-48 record during his tenure. In his final season at the University of the South, Barron guided the squad to its first ever conference championship and a No. 8 national ranking in Division III.
Prior to his time coaching the Sewanee women, Barron was the assistant men’s coach at Sewanee for four years. Barron came to the University of Maine with an 11-year head coaching career record of 152-139.
In the summer of 2006, Barron looked to expand his coaching knowledge as he traveled to Treviso, Italy with the NBA’s Phoenix Suns to observe and study under current New York Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni. In 1998, Barron was one of just three collegiate coaches selected to serve as a floor coach at the American Basketball League’s combine. He also served as the Ivy League Representative for the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association from 2003-06.
Barron, who grew up in both Florida and Tennessee, graduated from Kenyon College with a B.S. in biology. He graduated cum laude after being named to the dean’s list all eight semesters. Barron played both basketball and baseball while at Kenyon.
Barron and his wife, Maureen, a former Princeton softball coach, are the proud parents of twin daughters, Lane and Rae, and younger son, Billy.
HOMETOWN
Knoxville, Tenn.
COLLEGE
Kenyon College ‘91 (Biology)
CAREER NOTEBOOK
- Women’s America East Coach of the Year (2014-15)
- Guided Maine to back-to-back 20 win seasons and a pair of WNIT and America East Regular season titles (2014-15, 2015-16)
- At Baylor, was responsible for recruiting the highest ranked class in the country while also landing the highest ranked player, (Brittany Griner), in 2009.
- As an associate head coach, helped guide Baylor to the Big 12 Tournament Championship and a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances.
- Assisted in guiding NC State to the 2010 NCAA Tournament.
- As a head coach at Princeton, took over a 2-25 team and turned them into Ivy League Champions in 2005-06.
- Coached five different players to All-Ivy League honors while at Princeton.
- Guided Sewanee to its first ever conference championship and a #8 Division-III National Ranking.
COACHING EXPERIENCE
1991-95 Asst. Coach, Univ. of the South-Sewanee (Men)
1995-00 Head Coach, University of the South-Sewanee
2000-07 Head Coach, Princeton University
2007-09 Associate Head Coach, Baylor University
2009-11 Assistant Coach, NC State
2011-2017 Head Coach, University of Maine (Women)
2018-present Head Coach, University of Maine (men)
