After a successful one season with the Buffs, Men’s Soccer Head Coach Joe Barber has accepted a job at Gardner Webb University, where he will be the associate head coach. Barber’s departure follows a 10-3-7 record, an Appalachian Athletic Conference regular season title, a conference Coach of the Year award, and an NAIA national championship appearance.
Barber has a long-standing friendship with new Gardner Webb University head coach Scott Wells, and when Wells got the job around the holiday season, Barber soon followed.
The Stampede sat down with Milligan’s Athletic Director Christian Pope and a few players to get their reactions.
Pope and Barber had the initial conversation during the holiday break when Barber was first told about the potential position and let Pope know he would have to entertain the offer. Pope summarized his reaction as “disappointed, but not upset or angry.”
Senior forward Iñaki Moreno Insausti described the team’s reaction as “in shock.”
Freshman attacker Nicolas Motau felt similarly.
“We all thought, ‘why would he leave?’” he said. “But now I think we all understand his decision now. We can only continue to keep our new ways by finding a new coach and playing to the best of our abilities.”
Despite his short stint, Barber had a positive impact when he was here, even though the first few months of his tenure weren’t the smoothest.
“Honestly, I did not think that I was going to enjoy it after knowing that David Lilly left last year,” Insausti said. “I was not sure if Joe Barber was going to do a good job, but after pre-season, I knew Barber was a great coach and had the same goals as all the players.”
Pope explained that, after taking over from former coach David Lilly, Barber had a “disproportionate of what being a head coach would be… he was basically trying to build the program from scratch.” Barber had to wear many hats when it came to recruiting, coaching, paperwork and the list goes on.
Insausti continued, “I enjoyed it a lot, not just the way we played, he made the team stay together and he created a family and a good environment, trusting each other and having each other’s back at every moment.”
“There’s nothing I did not enjoy,” Motau said. “He coached up to the standards we had before he arrived, leading us to our third nationals appearance in 3 years.”
Even though no one wanted to see Barber go, the program must continue, and a new coach has to be hired for next season.
“We started the process of trying to find a new coach pretty much as soon as he told us,” said Pope. “We want to cast a wide net and find a coach who is mission-fit for our program.”
Pope wants the eventual successor to know that “I will be your biggest fan you will ever have and help you find whatever resources you need to be successful.”
For parting words to Barber, Pope said, “I enjoyed my time with him and I wish him the best.”
The Stampede wishes Coach Barber the best in his future endeavors.
All photos from Milligan Buffs