This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
In seven years, Scott Barnes accomplished more than any athletic director in Utah State's history. Nobody else even comes close.
As Barnes leaves Logan to become Pittsburgh's AD, I would rank him behind only Utah's Chris Hill in terms of impact in athletic administration at any school in the state.
The development of key facilities, the hiring of football coaches Gary Andersen and Matt Wells and innovative fund-raising strategy all are part of Barnes' legacy. The convergence of Barnes, president Stan L. Albrecht and Andersen/Wells on the campus has elevated USU's football program to a level that seemed unimaginable as of 10 years ago.
Aggie fans should be glad that Barnes stayed on the job as long as he did, and it probably helped that Barnes' chairing the NCAA men's basketball committee in 2014-15 dictated that he not change jobs prior to this month. In turn, though, that national visibility made him more attractive to an Atlantic Coast Conference school.
Barnes will be difficult to replace, that's for sure. The other variable in his absence is how his last major personnel move, the promotion of former assistant Tim Duryea as basketball coach Stew Morrill's replacement, will turn out.
If Duryea's performance resembles Wells' work, Barnes will have left both programs in strong positions. It helps that Barnes succeeded in getting a basketball practice facility built.
Renovations have begun on the newly named football stadium, with Maverik's corporate sponsorship. That naming-rights deal will stand as one last illustration of Barnes' impact in Logan.
The school's next move should be naming something after him.
Twitter: @tribkurt