Head Coach (Quarterbacks)
Brent Barnes was named head coach of the Pioneer football program in December 2019.
Barnes brings a wealth and variety of experience to Grinnell, having coached football for more than two decades. He most recently served as defensive coordinator at Alfred State College, an NCAA Division III school in New York.
At Alfred State, Barnes boosted recruiting efforts and reinvigorated marketing strategies for the program that led to a higher number and higher quality of recruits, both athletically and academically. The effective change implemented by Barnes resulted in significant improvement in the program.
Barnes has coaching experience at all levels of NCAA and also had the opportunity to serve as head coach of SBB Vukovi Beograd, an American football team in Belgrade, Serbia. There, he guided the team to an 8-2 record and Serbian League playoff berth.
At the collegiate level, Barnes not only has had multiple roles on the defensive side of the ball but plenty of experience as an offensive coordinator as well as special teams. During his time at Simon Fraser University, the team led the league in rushing offense and as passing coordinator at Middlebury College his squad rolled up impressive passing numbers and more than 450 yards per game.
Barnes has also enjoyed success during stops at Rhodes College, Millikin University, University of Chicago and Eastern Illinois University.
While known for his recruiting strengths, Barnes has also been a key advocate in his athletes' academic success and fortified bridges between his programs and alumni as well as local community. Barnes himself was a triple major at Rice University, in economics, history and mechanical engineering, and earned a master's degree in physical education from Montclair State University in New Jersey.
