Ernest Barrett enters his fifth season as associate head coach for the Norfolk State men's and women's track and field programs in 2026-27.
In 2025-26, Barrett helped guide the Spartans to a sweep of the MEAC men's cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field championships. He also assisted the women's program to runner-up finishes at the MEAC Cross Country and Indoor Track and Field Championships before a third-place finish at the MEAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
The Spartans produced seven individual MEAC indoor champions and eight individual MEAC outdoor champions during the 2025-26 campaign. Norfolk State also qualified four athletes for the NCAA East First Round. Barrett helped coach MEAC Cross Country individual champion Lewis Too, MEAC Indoor Most Outstanding Runner Daniel Mathenge, and MEAC Outdoor Most Outstanding Field Athlete Kristopher Stephens.
During the 2024-25 season, Barrett helped lead the men's team to a sweep of the MEAC cross country, indoor, and outdoor championships. He also played a key role in guiding the women's team to a MEAC cross country title and runner-up finishes during both the indoor and outdoor seasons.
Under Barrett's guidance in 2024-25, Norfolk State produced USTFCCCA All-America Indoor Second Team selection Kendrick Winfield, along with 11 individual MEAC indoor champions and 10 individual MEAC outdoor champions. The Spartans also qualified six athletes for the NCAA East First Round.
Widely regarded as one of the nation's top coaches, Barrett arrived at Norfolk State after four seasons at North Carolina A&T. While with the Aggies, he coached the men's and women's cross-country programs and oversaw the distance and middle-distance athletes for the indoor and outdoor track and field teams.
Prior to North Carolina A&T, Barrett spent 18 years leading the men's and women's cross country and track and field programs at Maryland Eastern Shore and five years as head coach at Coppin State.
Throughout his distinguished coaching career, Barrett has mentored 81 NCAA Preliminary Round qualifiers, 42 NCAA Championship qualifiers, 19 Olympic Trials qualifiers, 10 NCAA All-Americans, four World Championships participants, four Olympians, one world record holder, and one indoor world champion.
He has also coached numerous IC4A, ECAC, and MEAC champions. Among his most accomplished athletes was Maryland Eastern Shore's Khalil Rmidi Kinni, who earned MEAC Outdoor Track Most Valuable Performer honors three consecutive years (2014-16) and collected nine MEAC MVP awards across cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field during his career.
Barrett's tenure at Maryland Eastern Shore included four men's and four women's MEAC cross country championships, along with three MEAC women's track and field championships (two indoor and one outdoor). He earned MEAC Outstanding Coach of the Year honors 11 times.
At Coppin State, Barrett coached three NCAA All-Americans in the 800 meters — Diana Pitts (1994), Twana Allen (1996), and Ian Roberts (1997). He also coached three USA Track and Field Championship participants, two Olympic Trials qualifiers, two World Indoor Championships participants, and world champion Damion Johnson, who was a member of the 4x400-meter relay team that set a world record in 1999.
Barrett began his collegiate coaching career as an assistant coach at Coppin State before being promoted to head coach. Prior to entering the collegiate ranks, he served as head track and field coach at Falls Church High School in Virginia.
A native of Kingston, Jamaica, Barrett was an accomplished athlete. He qualified for the Olympic Trials and earned seven All-America honors in the 800 meters, 4x800-meter relay, and 4x400-meter relay. Barrett was a member of the world-record-setting 4x800-meter relay team that ran 7:17.77 in 1989.
Barrett earned a bachelor's degree in community health education from George Mason University in 1991. He is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Barrett and his wife have two daughters, Tasia and Kristen.
