Brian Barnes was named the sixth head coach in the history of the Duke University swimming and diving program on May 22, 2023, and currently serves as the Director of Swimming and Diving for the Blue Devils. He succeeded the late Dan Colella and brought with him a deep and broad coaching résumé, including stops at NC State (associate head coach), Purdue, Notre Dame, Kansas, Auburn, and his alma mater Indiana. As a coach, Barnes has already made a significant impact at Duke. In the 2023-24 season, the women’s team achieved its highest ever NCAA Championship finish (16th), with multiple All-America performances and school records set under his leadership.
Barnes’s prior coaching successes include leading the women’s program at Notre Dame to multiple Big East titles, coaching Emma Reaney to an NCAA championship, and contributing to Purdue’s relay breakthroughs. A native of Osceola, Indiana, he was a seven-time All-American at Indiana University, qualified for U.S. Olympic Trials, and served on the USA Swimming National Team. Barnes describes his coaching philosophy as building a culture of trust, individualized training, and holistic athlete development, aiming to help swimmers and divers perform at their best while thriving academically and personally.
