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Chris Barrett enters his third full season as the head men's soccer coach at Radford in 2023. Barrett was named the interim head men's soccer coach in November 2020.

In the 2022 season, Barrett led Radford to a 3-4-1 Big South record, picking up consecutive wins over Winthrop, USC Upstate, and Longwood. It was the Highlanders' first three-game winning streak since 2018. Goalkeeper Joseba Incera finished top-10 nationally in saves per game (5.45), posting a 1.82 GAA and .750 save percentage with three clean sheets.

As interim head coach in the modified 2021 spring season, Barrett led the team to a 3-5-1 overall record. The Highlanders defense held opponents to one or less goals in four games that season, picking up wins over Gardner-Webb, VMI and Winthrop.

Prior to being named interim head coach, Barrett was set to begin his third stint and 10th season overall (1995-98, 2006-10) as an assistant coach of the Highlander men's soccer program. He has also spent a decade (2010-19) as assistant coach of Radford's women's soccer program.

With his assistance, the Highlander defensive juggernaut (68 shutouts, Big South record 14 in 2012) keyed the Radford women's soccer program to four Big South regular season titles and three tournament championships. In doing so, the Highlanders advanced to the first round of the NCAA Tournament where they met eventual national champion North Carolina (2012), national runner-up Duke (2011), West Virginia (2018) and Virginia (2019).

Under his tutelage, Barrett groomed Che' Brown into arguably one of the best goalkeepers in Radford and Big South history. From the time Brown came in as a freshman to when she signed a professional contract in March of 2014, she littered the program's and league's record books. She is the conference's only four-time first team goalkeeper and is just the second Highlander with four first-team nods.

Barrett, who spent the previous five seasons as an assistant on the men's side (second stint), has roots with Radford that run deep: not only was he a four-year standout with the Highlanders, his development as a coach began and continues at his alma mater. The 1996 Radford graduate made his return to campus in 2006 and began molding the Highlander goalkeepers.

Under his guidance, Zach Roszel earned all-conference honors in 2006 and two seasons later posted the league’s top save percentage (.821) and fought through an injury-plagued season to post the Big South’s second-best goals against average (0.92).

Before making his return to the New River Valley, Barrett’s coaching career has included stops at the college, professional, club and high school levels in locations from Christiansburg to Georgia. His impact has been felt throughout southeastern soccer, most notably during his four years in Greenville, S.C. Barrett was co-director of Greenville FC, as well as the program’s director of player development. 

Barrett has also spent time as a coach and director with the Rockdale (Ga.) Youth Soccer Association and Port City Soccer Club (N.C.), along with collegiate assistant coaching stints at UNC Wilmington and West Virginia and ODPs in Virginia, West Virginia, South Carolina and Georgia.

With the Highlanders, Barrett was a two-year team captain and a Second Team All-Big South selection in 1994. He finished his career with 207 saves, which is fifth in the program annals. 

Right after his playing days concluded, Barrett’s coaching career began as an assistant to Spencer Smith. Under Smith and Barrett’s guidance from 1995-98, the Highlanders won 43 games and claimed their first Big South regular season title. He also volunteered his time as a goalkeeper coach for the Radford women’s team.

Barrett earned his bachelor’s from Radford in leisure services and recently earned his teaching certificate for physical education and health.