Karen Barefoot, a nationally-known women’s basketball coach who has built successful programs at four different institutions, finished her fourth season as the 11th head coach in UNCW women’s basketball history during the 2020-21 campaign.
Barefoot, 48, has brought winning back to UNCW over the last four years, with the Seahawks posting 47 victories, including an 18-12 record in 2018-19 that secured the team’s first winning season in seven years. The Seahawks also authored a 13-1 mark inside Trask Coliseum, matching the program record for home wins in a single season.
UNCW posted seven victories during the 2020-21 season, which included a victory over the College of Charleston in the opening round of the CAA Women's Basketball Championship. A pair of student-athletes were recognized by the CAA's head coaches as Carol-Anne Obusek received Second-Team All-CAA notice, while Za'Nautica Downs earned the league's Sixth Player of the Year award in addition to a place on the All-CAA Third Team.
Under Barefoot's tutelage, the Seahawks registered 10 wins during the 2019-20 campaign, including six victories in Colonial Athletic Association regular season play. UNCW fashioned a 69-55 victory over Charleston in the opening game of the CAA Women's Basketball Championship before the tournament was cut short due to COVID-19.
Barefoot's squad had three student-athletes recognized with CAA postseason awards, including senior guard Lacey Suggs, who was named CAA Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Redshirt senior guard GiGi Smith, the Seahawks' leading scorer, was a Third-Team All-CAA performer, while senior guard Ahyiona Vason earned a spot on the league's All-Defensive Team.
UNCW earned a share of third place in the CAA regular season standings in 2018-19 after finishing with an 11-7 conference record. The Seahawks were the only team to defeat CAA regular season champion James Madison during league play, posting a 66-63 victory at Trask Coliseum on Jan. 18.
As a result of the Seahawks’ improvement, a trio of student-athletes earned All-CAA distinction by the league’s head coaches, marking the first time in program history three UNCW players have received a spot on the all-conference team in the same season. Smith and redshirt senior guard Shrita Parker were tabbed Second-Team All-CAA while Suggs was a Third-Team selection.
In her first year with the Seahawks, Barefoot guided the squad to its best start in 10 years after UNCW authored a 7-4 non-conference record, including a 6-0 start at Trask Coliseum. The Seahawks closed out the season with three wins in their final five games, including a 58-47 victory over Towson in the first round of the CAA Tournament.
Barefoot has also made an impact in the Wilmington community during her three years at UNCW. She was featured in the April 2019 edition of WILMA Magazine and was a nominee for the Cape Fear YWCA Woman of the Year Award in May 2019.
Barefoot took over the UNCW program after six successful seasons at Old Dominion, where she guided the Lady Monarchs to a 103-93 record, including five winning seasons and three postseason appearances.
Barefoot led ODU to a 17-14 record during the 2016-17 campaign, including an 11-7 mark in Conference USA play. The Lady Monarchs advanced to the Conference USA quarterfinals before bowing to league runner-up Southern Miss. In addition, she posted a pair of milestone victories during the season, winning her 100th game as the Lady Monarchs’ coach against Charlotte on Feb. 19 after notching her 300th victory as a head coach against VCU on Dec. 9, 2016.
The Lady Monarchs finished the 2015-16 season with a 17-17 mark, including a 10-8 showing in league play. They advanced to the Conference USA Championship Game as the number five seed after defeating No. 13 seed North Texas, No. 4 seed Charlotte and No. 1 seed UTEP in the tournament.
Barefoot also led ODU to the 1,000th win in program history on Dec. 15, 2015, with a victory at Howard, allowing the Lady Monarchs to become the fourth program in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history to reach the milestone.
Barefoot guided Old Dominion to its best season during her tenure in 2014-15 when the Lady Monarchs finished with a 21-13 record and reached the second round of the postseason WNIT after defeating Virginia. The Lady Monarchs paced Conference USA in field goal percentage defense (.377) and defensive rebounds per game (29.0) while ranking second in the league in rebounding margin (+3.1).
In 2013-14, the Lady Monarchs put together an 18-16 campaign that featured a trip to the second round of the postseason WNIT. In the program’s first season in Conference USA, ODU earned a first round bye in the league tournament. Barefoot recorded her 250th career win as a head coach with a thrilling overtime victory against Marshall on Feb. 1, 2014.
The Lady Monarchs tallied 19 wins in 2012-13, marking an eight-win improvement over the previous season, and earned a spot in the WNIT. Old Dominion finished fourth in the CAA standings and defeated eventual WNIT champion Drexel at home.
Prior to taking over at Old Dominion, Barefoot was the head coach for three seasons at CAA rival Elon, piloting the Phoenix to 37 victories, including the program’s first 20-win season in 2010-11, along with an appearance in the Women’s Basketball Invitational.
Barefoot spent three years as an assistant coach at Old Dominion from 2005-08, helping the Lady Monarchs compile a 77-23 record with three CAA tournament championships. ODU won at least 22 games in each season, including a 31-5 mark in 2007-08 with an appearance in the Sweet 16.
In four seasons as the head coach at Lenoir-Rhyne, the Newport News, Va., native guided the program to a 70-44 record, including the school’s first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division II National Tournament during the 2002-03 campaign after winning the program’s first South Atlantic Conference Tournament championship.
Barefoot began her coaching career as the head coach at The Apprentice School in Newport News from 1995-2001, earning NSCAA Coach-of-the-Year honors twice. In six seasons with the Builders, Barefoot compiled a 103-41 record with three national postseason tournament appearances, including the 2001 National Small College Athletic Association Tournament title.
A 1995 graduate of Christopher Newport, Barefoot led the Captains to three NCAA Tournament appearances, including a run to the Sweet 16 during her freshman season. During her career, she posted a 73-34 overall record and was a three-time Kodak/WBCA All-America selection while claiming All-USA South Atlantic Conference Player-of-the-Year honors twice.
Barefoot, a four-time All-Conference selection, also holds the distinction of being the first player (male or female) in NCAA basketball history to collect 2,000 career points and 1,000 career assists. She was inducted into the Christopher Newport University Hall of Fame in 1999 and still ranks as the program’s all-time leader in assists and steals while ranking second on the program’s all-time scoring list.
Barefoot, who has been a part of 20 winning seasons in her 25 years as a college coach, has earned Hall of Fame recognition four times in her career. She was honored by her alma mater in 1999 before receiving Hall of Fame distinction from the USA South Conference in 2010. Barefoot was also inducted into The Apprentice School Athletic Hall of Fame in September 2019 and earned a spot in the George Whitfield Baseball Clinic Hall of Fame in January 2022.
Karen Barefoot Year-by-Year as a Head Coach
| Year |
School |
Record |
Conf. |
Postseason |
| 1995-96 |
Apprentice |
12-2 |
0-0 |
|
| 1996-97 |
Apprentice |
13-12 |
0-0 |
|
| 1997-98 |
Apprentice |
15-8 |
0-0 |
|
| 1998-99 |
Apprentice |
16-11 |
4-1 |
NSCAA Third Place |
| 1999-2000 |
Apprentice |
23-5 |
5-2 |
NSCAA Fourth Place |
| 2000-01 |
Apprentice |
24-3 |
4-0 |
NSCAA National Champions |
| Record at The Apprentice School (6 seasons): 103-41 |
| 2001-02 |
Lenoir-Rhyne |
19-9 |
9-7 |
|
| 2002-03 |
Lenoir-Rhyne |
18-12 |
7-7 |
SAC Champions/NCAA Regional |
| 2003-04 |
Lenoir-Rhyne |
17-11 |
11-3 |
|
| 2004-05 |
Lenoir-Rhyne |
16-12 |
9-5 |
|
| Record at Lenoir-Rhyne (4 seasons): 70-44 |
| 2008-09 |
Elon |
5-26 |
2-18 |
Southern Conference Quarterfinals |
| 2009-10 |
Elon |
12-19 |
6-14 |
Southern Conference Quarterfinals |
| 2010-11 |
Elon |
20-13 |
12-8 |
Southern Conference Quarterfinals/WBI |
| Record at Elon (3 seasons): 37-58 |
| 2011-12 |
Old Dominion |
11-21 |
7-11 |
CAA Quarterfinals |
| 2012-13 |
Old Dominion |
19-12 |
10-8 |
WNIT First Round |
| 2013-14 |
Old Dominion |
18-16 |
9-7 |
Conference USA Quarterfinals/WNIT Second Round |
| 2014-15 |
Old Dominion |
21-13 |
11-7 |
Conference USA Semifinals/WNIT Second Round |
| 2015-16 |
Old Dominion |
17-17 |
10-8 |
Conference USA Runner-Up |
| 2016-17 |
Old Dominion |
17-14 |
11-7 |
|
| Record at Old Dominion (6 seasons): 103-93 |
| 2017-18 |
UNCW |
12-19 |
4-14 |
CAA Quarterfinals |
| 2018-19 |
UNCW |
18-12 |
11-7 |
CAA Quarterfinals |
| 2019-20 |
UNCW |
10-20 |
6-12 |
CAA Quarterfinals |
| 2020-21 |
UNCW |
7-14 |
3-10 |
CAA Quarterfinals |
| Record at UNCW (4 seasons): 47-65 |
| Career Record (23 seasons): 360-301 |
