2024-04-19 13:10:21
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University men’s basketball coach Darian DeVries has announced the hiring of Kory Barnett as an assistant coach for the Mountaineers.
Barnett joins Mountaineer basketball following spending the past five seasons at Nevada and six seasons at UCLA, working for coach Steve Alford at both locations.
During his basketball career, Barnett was with eight NCAA Tournament teams, including five in the Sweet 16, two conference championship teams, seven 20-win seasons, 259 wins and 19 NBA players (9 1st round draft picks, 2 NBA Champions, 1 NBA All- Star and 1 gold medalist).
“We are thrilled to have Kory join our basketball staff because he is one of the great, bright young coaches in college basketball,” DeVries said. “He worked his way up throughout his career and really did a great job at Nevada, especially working with their defense and getting them ranked at the top nationally. Kory is an incredible person and family man.”
At Nevada, Barnett served as an assistant coach and helped the Wolf Pack to 96 wins, including 26 wins and NCAA Tournament appearances the past two seasons. Focused primarily on Nevada’s defense the past two seasons, the Wolf Pack has consistently ranked at the top of the Mountain West in numerous defensive statistical categories, ranking 71st in 2022-23 and 42nd in 2023-24 in KenPom, as the team ‘ a combined 48-19. Barnett designed the Wolf Pack’s schedule for the 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Barnett served as Nevada’s head coach in 2021 for a game once morest Pepperdine during COVID, leading the Wolf Pack to a 79-66 victory. In recent years, Barnett was named to the Silver Waves Media’s list of “75 Rising Stars: Impactful Men’s Mid Major Assistants” last season and was a Alex Reed of honor in April 2024 for the Elite 50 Power Lunch Invitational.
Barnett was at UCLA from 2013-19, serving as an assistant coach, director of operations, director of scouting and player development and video coordinator. In December 2018, he was promoted to assistant coach before leaving for Nevada with Alford. Over Barnett’s six seasons at UCLA, the Bruins reached the NCAA Tournament four times (2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018), including NCAA Sweet 16 appearances in 2014, 2015 and 2017.
A native of Rochester, Indiana, Barnett played at Indiana from 2009-12, helping the Hoosiers to the postseason for the first time since 2008, helping Indiana reach the NCAA Sweet 16 in his senior season. He earned three Academic All-Big Ten Conference honors and received the team’s Big Ten Sportsmanship nomination following his junior season. Barnett was a graduate assistant at Indiana in 2012-13, helping the Hoosiers to the Big Ten regular season championship and NCAA Sweet 16 appearance.
Barnett received his bachelor’s degree in sports communication from Indiana. He and his wife, Sarah, have two sons, Brooks (6) and Blake (3).
1713532677
#Barnett #Named #Assistant #Mens #Basketball #Coach
