Brianne Barnes joined the Valpo soccer program in July 2021 as an assistant coach, bringing a decade of collegiate coaching experience with her to Valpo. She enters her third season on staff entering the 2023 campaign, having helped Valpo to its two best seasons in the Missouri Valley Conference in her first two years.

Barnes was a member of the MVC Coaching Staff of the Year in the fall of 2022 as she helped guide Valpo to its first MVC regular season championship. The Beacons finished with a 7-1-2 mark in Valley play to earn the regular season crown, while posting an 8-7-4 overall record. Seven players earned MVC postseason awards, with one earning All-Region recognition as well.

In Barnes' first season on staff in 2021, the Beacons enjoyed their best season since joining the Missouri Valley Conference, posting a 10-6-2 overall record and a 6-1-1 mark to finish in second place in the Valley regular season. Along the way, Valpo posted the second-longest unbeaten streak (8-0-1) and the third-longest winning streak (7-0-0) in program history. Eight players earned postseason recognition from the MVC, and three Beacons received All-Region accolades.

Prior to arriving at Valpo, Barnes spent 10 years on staff at Cedarville, the last seven as an assistant coach after three years in a graduate assistant role. Over her 10 years, the Yellow Jackets posted a 103-72-14 record, including a school-record 16 wins in 2019 when Cedarville won the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) national championship.

Barnes helped lead Cedarville to the 2013 Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) regular season title and the 2015 G-MAC tournament title, the latter resulting in a berth to the 2015 NCAA Division II national tournament. Barnes was part of a coaching staff in 2019 which was named NCCAA National Coaching Staff of the Year.

In addition to being involved in all aspects of the Yellow Jackets’ varsity program, she also was charged with running Cedarville’s reserve team. Barnes also brings seven years of experience as a head coach with Ohio Galaxies FC and has coached at numerous camps as well.

A 2010 graduate of Cedarville University with a degree in electronic media, Barnes was a four-year member of the Yellow Jackets program as a student-athlete at goalkeeper. She holds her USSF “D” license, has earned the NSCAA Goalkeeping Level 1 Diploma and attended the NCAA Women Coaches Academy.