brian
Q&A
BARNES
by michael j . stott
As head women’s
photo provided by university of notre dame
coach at the
BRIAN BARNES
Dame, Brian Barnes
Head Women’s Coach University of Notre Dame South Bend, Indiana
led the Irish women to their highest finish ever (16th) at the 2013 NCAAs.
SW: What influence did Richard Quick have on your coaching career? BB: Working with Richard Quick was an incredible experience. He influenced me tremendously. The biggest thing that I learned from Richard was to establish a belief and then teach it. I also learned that if you were sharing the deck with him, you were coaching for second place. SW: What was it like to go from a highly successful Auburn program to the head job at Notre Dame? BB: You have to keep in mind that when I was hired at Auburn, I walked into an established NCAA championship culture built by
SW: You also include yoga in your training. How does that work? BB: Yoga happens mostly in the fall. It is great for the body and mind. The positions the women on this team hold help them to find tone in the body when competing. It is also a great recovery tool during periods of high academic stress. —continued on 38
University of Notre
Q. Swimming World: What brought you to Notre Dame? A. Coach Brian barnes: Notre Dame brought me to Notre Dame.
involve anything that would cause muscle breakdown. Essentially, on loading days, you go to the well, and you give it up. Unloading days promote muscle repair. I often call these days, “Aerobic Technique.” These practices are often centered around light aerobic swimming with a strong emphasis on technique.
David Marsh. A big part of what I learned there was the day-in and day-out pace that is required to win repeatedly. When I made the move to Notre Dame, I knew that much of my initial focus needed to be on developing a culture that understood the value of hard work and aspired to performance at the highest level. You can’t focus on the act of winning before that culture is in place. To be great, you have to have a team that is willing collectively to step outside its comfort zone. SW: You have adopted a “recovery training” philosophy.... BB: I learned this from David Marsh and then saw it again with Richard. It comes down to a day of stress followed by a day of recovery. I often refer to them as loading and unloading days. Loading days would
Brian Barnes (Indiana University, B.S., kinesiology, ’95) has found a home under the Golden Dome at Notre Dame. As a team captain and All-American distance swimmer at IU, Barnes was twice named USA Swimming Indiana Male Swimmer of the Year (1989, 1995). He was a member of the U.S. national team in 1989 and 1992 and a two-time Olympic Trials qualifier (1992, 1996). Following graduation, he began compiling a coaching resumé that included successful stops with the Michiana Marlins (his former club team), University of Kansas and Lawrence Aquahawks (Kan.) as well as Indiana and Auburn, where he benefited from the counsel of legendary coaches David Marsh and Richard Quick. In his first five years at Notre Dame, his women have finished first three times and second twice at the Big East Conference Championships. Under his tutelage, Notre Dame has earned 18 AllAmerican honors/honorable mentions at the NCAA Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships. July 2013
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