Richard Barron, the 22nd head coach of Maine men’s basketball enters his fourth season at the helm in 2021-22. This will be Barron’s his 21st season as a head coach.
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.
The 2018-19 season was not 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 in 1996, taking the helm of the University of the South-Sewanee women’s team, where he posted a 77-48 record.
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 (2014-15 and 2015-16).
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.
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..
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.
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.
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.
