PRINCESS ANNE, MD - The University of Eastern Shore's AthleticsDepartment has appointed Ernest Barrett to the positionof Head Men and Women's Cross-Country/Track & Field Coach. Barrettwill replace Ron Davis who served as Interim Head Coach last season.
Prior to coming to UMES, Coach Barrett spent five years as the headof the Coppin State College cross-country/track and field program. "This is a big loss for our program," said Coppin State Athletics Director Ron "Fang" Mitchell. "We're losing someone who is not only a quality coach, but also a quality person. He was an important part of the Coppin family, and we'll certainly miss him."
Coach Barrett enters UMES with an impressive collegiate track resume',from being named Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Outstanding Coach fourtimes to having four National Collegiate Athletic Associationqualifiers and participants.
While at Coppin State, Coach Barrett coached three USA Track and FieldChampionship athletes (1994, 1997, 1999), two Olympic Trail Qualifiers(1996), two World Championships participants for indoor track (1999),and one World Record Holder and World Champion for indoor track (1999).Prior to being named head coach at Coppin State, Coach Barrett servedas the assistant coach from 1993-1994. While serving as the assistantcoach at Coppin State College, Barrett worked as a Health InformationSpecialist for the City of Fairfax from 1992-1994, and from 1991-1993he was head track coach at Falls Church High School in Falls Church,VA.
Coach Barrett was a standout athlete at George Mason University (GMU)where he received his Bachelor of Science in community health educationwith a minor in communications in 1991. He was a three-year lettermanin cross country/track and field at GMU from 1987-1990 and served asthe captain of his team during his senior year (1989-90).
