Bio

Barker took the reigns of the Mount Mercy cross country programs in June 2023 and is also an assistant coach for the track & field squads. Since 2012, he had been the head cross country and track & field coach at NAIA powerhouse University of St. Francis (Ill.). One of the most successful coaches in the nation, Barker guided the Saints to the NAIA men's cross country national championship in 2012 and the NAIA women's cross country title in 2020. Barker was named National Coach of the Year both times. After his arrival at St. Francis, the men's cross country program finished in the top 10 in the NAIA each season, while the women's program was a top-10 finisher five times. The Saints also won 10 Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) men's titles and eight CCAC women's championships. In addition to being a two-time NAIA Coach of the Year, Barker has a combined 10 United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Midwest Region Coach of the Year awards and 17 CCAC Coach of the Year honors. He has also coached 28 NAIA cross country all-Americans. During Barker's tenure, the Saints also made a combined 16 NAIA top-25 finishes in men's and women's indoor and outdoor track & field. He has coached 190 track & field all-Americans and his resume also includes five CCAC men's and women's titles and four CCAC track & field Coach of the Year awards.