Barker officially introduced as new SCSU AD
NEW HAVEN — Maya Angelou famously once said when someone shows you who they are believe them the first time.
If first impressions are to be believed, the energy and passion Southern Connecticut State coaches and administrators say new Athletic Director Chris Barker brings to the table will serve the Owls well moving forward.
Southern Connecticut State President Joe Bertolino officially introduced Barker as the Owls’ sixth athletic director at a press conference at the Adanti Student Center on Wednesday.
“At the end of any search process, the finalists who come in are all qualified,” Bertolino said. “At the end of the day, success at an institution like Southern depends on finding the right person at the right time for the job. You look for the person with enthusiasm and someone who can take your athletic program to the next level.
“But what won it for Chris, when I asked him what was the most important thing to him, he said family. We’re a family at Southern. Chris will take our athletic family, interact with our coaches and athletes and see to their needs so athletes can be successful in the classroom and in their sport, so their experience here can be a special one.”
Barker comes from University of Wisconsin-Parkside, where he served as the Deputy Director of Athletics since 2020 for the Division II program in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Barker previously held the position of Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Revenue Generation and Administration and was also the
Associate Director of Athletics for Internal Operations.
Barker has his early priorities.
“The first thing I want to do here is finish meeting with the entire athletic staff,” Barker said. “I want to put a plan together but I want to do that together with all the athletic staff. One of the important things for me is to be a good listener. I want to listen to what they all have to say.
“When students come in the fall, I want to have early meetings with them and listen to them, what their needs are.”
Tracy Tyree, vice president of student affairs, led the Southern national search for a new athletic director.
“In addition to the depth of experience he brings, Chris has a level of energy and passion we need at Southern,” Tyree said. “We have a strong program, but we were looking for someone who could identify opportunities we’ve been missing. He demonstrated success at Wisconsin-Parkside and we’re excited to have him here.”
And Barker has a plan. “I have a five-year plan,” Barker said. “Without divulging the key parts of that plan, at the end of the day I will ask myself are we competitive. Are our athletes being successful academically, socially and on the field, court and pool?
“The success of the first year of the plan will tweak the potential success of the second and third years.”
While colleges like the University of New Haven are considering a jump to Division I and University of Hartford dropping to Division III, Barker believes the Owls are good where they are in Division II.
“I know some colleges are looking at movement,” Barker said. “But I think we’re good where we are now in Division II. There is no rush to entertain thoughts about going to another division.
”You don’t know what the future will bring. But right now I want our athletes and sports programs to be as good as they can be in Division II, to be competitive in the Northeast-10 and nationally.”
Southern men’s soccer coach Tom Lang is looking forward to working with Barker.
“The time I’ve spent with Chris I’ve been inspired with his level of enthusiasm and personal interaction with people,” Lang said. “I had a good conversation with him, he’s a good listener.”
Southern volleyball coach Lisa Barbaro believes Barker can help the Owls program turn a corner.
“We all love his energy and enthusiasm,” Barbaro said. “We have an excellent athletic program and it’s at that point where we can reach the next level. It’s a perfect time for someone with that enthusiasm and energy to help us turn the corner and be more competitive in the conference and nationally.”