DRAGON ATHLETICS
Staff
Keith Barnier, Head Track & Field Coach / Head Cross Country Coach
Endorsed with a serious Dragon pedigree and tempered by a rewarding career in intercollegiate athletics that spans over two decades, Keith Barnier begins his sixth year in the taxing role as head men’s and women’s cross-country and track coach at Minnesota State University Moorhead.
Barnier kept the Dragons’ championship express on track last fall, guiding the Dragon men to the 2006 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Cross-Country title. His staff also shared the NSIC Men’s Cross-Country Coach of the Year award.
There would be no letup during the track season as the Dragons pocketed a whopping five All-American certificates, and sophomore Jennifer Hensel reached the ultimate by winning the 2007 NCAA Division II Women’s pole vault championships. In all, Barnier has tutored 47 conference champions, 15 All-American performers and three NCAA II national champions in his first five years at State.
Make no mistake; his athletes excel in the classroom as well. And how! Last year the Dragons pocketed 29 All-NSIC Academic certificates in track and seven in cross-country. In addition, senior Jessica Trautwein was a first team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American.
During his sparkling coaching career, Barnier has coached six NCAA national champions, seven Olympic qualifiers and student-athletes who have collected 95 NCAA All-American certificates. His athletes have won SEC, ACC, MIAC, NSIC, NCAA, USA, Jamaican, Canadian, World Championship titles and an Olympic gold medal as well.
A native of Elk River, Barnier flourished in the hurdle events at MSUM from 1983-87 and helped the Dragons roar to eight consecutive NSIC Indoor and NSIC Outdoor titles. Barnier was a national qualifier in the 500 meters indoors and the 400 meter outdoor hurdles. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Fitness Management with a business concentration in 1987 and later added a Master of Arts degree in Athletic Administration from the University of St. Thomas in 1990.
Barnier has earned a Level I and II USA Track and Field Coaching Certification. He was invited to participate in the USA Track and Field Elite Spring and Hurdle Summit as coach of several nationally-ranked student-athletes.
Barnier spent four years as an assistant track coach at St. Thomas from 1987-90 and three years at Alabama (1990-92). He was appointed head coach at Carleton College in 1993. In the fall of 1993, he accepted an assistant coaching position at Clemson and was appointed recruiting coordinator and associate professor. In 1997, he returned to Alabama as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Crimson Tide before he answered the call to return to his alma mater and put the Dragons back on the right track once again.
