MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Trust goes a long way with Neal Brown, as the latest addition to West Virginia’s football administration demonstrates.
Coleman Barnes, an associate athletic director at Utah State, announced Thursday he will be joining the Mountaineers as the associate athletics director for football external affairs effective Feb. 20. Barnes’ duties are expected to resemble those of former associate AD Alex Hammond, who entered the private sector when Dana Holgorsen was hired by Houston.
On 2/20, I will join the @WVUfootball staff & HC @NealBrown_WVU as Associate AD – Football External Affairs. Pretty awesome to work w/ my lifelong friend, best man, teammate, & roommate. We are so excited to get to @WestVirginiaU & @morgantownwv! #TakeMeHomeCountryRoads #HailWV pic.twitter.com/xL8DAt31Ak
— Coleman Barnes (@ColemanBarnes) February 14, 2019
Barnes was a teammate of Brown’s at Kentucky, but the two have not worked together since. Barnes worked in administrative roles at Ole Miss, Fresno State, UAB and Miami (Ohio) before spending the past two years at Utah State. This will be his first football-specific administrative role.
Barnes is among the handful of on- and off-field personnel with prior connections to Brown that the new coach has has brought into the program since taking over in early January.