The 2024-25 season begins Eric Barnes’ 11th season as the Head Diving Coach for the Men’s and Women’s Diving Program at IU Indy.
In those ten seasons the program has seen a significant amount of growth and accomplishment. Under Barnes' coaching, the program has seen three Diver of the Meet titles at the Horizon League Championships with Sebastion Otero earning the award at the 2022-23 Championships and the 2023-24 Championships. Alaina Heyde was named Diver of the Meet following the 2023-24 Championships as well. Otero was also one of the only divers in Horizon League history to be named Freshman of the Year following the 2022-23 Horizon League Championships. He made history the following season when Otero was named one of the few divers in Horizon League history to be named #HLSD Athlete of the Year.
Barnes' has also been named Men's Diving Coach of the Year at back-to-back Horizon League Championships (2022-23, 2023-24). He helped coached Sebastion Otero to qualify for the 2023-24 NCAA Championships and Alex Scott to the 2022-23 NCAA Championships. Under Barnes' coaching, Otero also qualified and competed at the U.S. Diving Olympic Trials.
The team had great success at the Summit League Championships when the both the men’s and women’s teams swept all the season ending awards including Diver of The Year and Coach of the Year. The program then moved into the Horizon League in 2018 and continued the success with Coach of the Year in 2019. The men’s program also saw its first qualification to the NCAA Championships on the men’s side in 2016 and the first points scored in the program’s history at the NCAA Championships in 2019. In addition to performances in the pool the program has seen a rise in academic achievement with high team grade point averages and graduation rates.
Prior to his being named Head Coach at IU Indy, Barnes spent 20 years developing some the top talent in the country. Under his guidance, Barnes' athletes have won numerous USAD regional and national championships while also qualifying for the US Olympic Trials. Many of these athletes moved on to compete at the NCAA level and had careers of distinction. He has also qualified athletes representing Team USA internationally at the FINA Junior World Championships, Junior Pan-American Games and the 2007 USA FINA Grand Prix in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
In his career, Coach Barnes has achieved great team success, including winning the team championships at the 1995 NCAA Division II National Championships while at Oakland University. While serving as the head coach at the University of Toledo, he mentored several athletes including a three time Mid-American Conference champion and 1998 Diver of the Year and a two time NCAA Division I qualifier. He was also named the Mid-American Conference Women’s Coach of the Year in 1998.
At the club level while an assistant coach with Lightning Diving Club in St. Louis, Mo., the team placed seventh at the Speedo Junior National Championships in 2001. Lightning Diving went on to win the team title at the USAD Junior West National Championships in 2002 and in 2011 while coaching with The Ohio State Dive Club, the team captured the USAD East Junior National Championships and placed second at the Speedo Junior National Championships. In 2012 the OSDC captured both the USAD East National Championship and the Speedo Junior National Championships.
In addition to his coaching duties, Coach Barnes serves as a FINA judge representing the USA on the international level. He has served as a FINA judge since 2007 at several prestigious events such as the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, 2011 UANA Pan-American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, the 2012 FINA World Age Group Championships in Adelaide, Australia as well as several FINA Grand Prix and FINA World Series events.
Coach Barnes is married and lives in Indianapolis with his wife Kelli and their daughter Anabelle.
