Alabama basketball hiring Henry Barrera as new strength coach

On3 imageby:Clint Lamb05/23/22

ClintRLamb

Alabama men’s basketball is hiring a new strength and conditioning coach. On Tuesday, head coach Nate Oats announced that Henry Barrera would be filling that role after coming over from Liberty, where he spent the last seven years. Barrera was the men’s basketball director of performance for the Flames.

Here’s everything we know about the hire.

Nate Oats on Barrera

“I am thrilled to have Henry and his family join our program,” said Oats in a release. “I’ve known Henry for a long time and we’ve remained in close contact for more than a decade. When it comes to basketball-specific strength and conditioning training, Henry consistently remains on the cutting edge. He has a built-in mindset of continuous growth in that regard, and the results speak for themselves. Henry is also a man of high character and is willing to do anything it takes to help the program be successful. He is a natural fit with our players, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome him to Tuscaloosa.”

What Barrera said in his release

“I am really excited to join coach Oats and the Alabama family,” Henry Barrera said in a release. “The history and tradition of Alabama athletics and within the men’s basketball program is powerful. My family and I are very grateful for this opportunity. We are ready to get to work. Roll Tide!”

Henry Barrera’s bio

  • Comes to Tuscaloosa from after serving the past seven seasons (2015-22) as the Liberty Flames’ men’s basketball program’s director of performance
  • Held the title of men’s basketball strength coach for three years (2015-18) before being promoted to the director of strength and conditioning for Olympic sports (2018-22)
  • Over the seven seasons he was there, Liberty men’s basketball reached unprecedented heights
  • The Flames earned a combined 166 (166-61) victories over the span which averaged out to 23.7 wins per season and a .731 winning percentage
  • Liberty was equally as good in the ASUN, winning three consecutive regular season and tournament championships (2019, 2020, 2021) and boasted a .722 conference winning percentage (83-32).
  • During his stint in Lynchburg, Va., the Flames made five postseason appearances, including three NCAA Tournament berths, and recorded six straight 20-plus win seasons
  • The Flames’ 2019-20 campaign saw a school-record 30 victories (30-4) along with the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament win (def. Mississippi State Bulldogs 80-76 in 2019 tournament) 
  • Arrived at Liberty from the state of Oregon, where he was a performance training specialist at Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton
  • While there, he was instrumental in designing training content for multiple projects including Jordan Brand’s Terminal 23 in New York and The Hangar in Los Angeles
  • Continues to be a consultant with multiple training companies including Nike Basketball, the Jordan Brand, Nike N7, Shoot 360 and multiple others
  • Barrera received his associate of arts in 1997 from Yakima Valley Community College where he helped lead them to the 1997 conference championships
  • He moved onto Multnomah University where he was a three-time All-American and named the 2000 NCCAA Pete Maravich National Player of the Year after averaging nearly 20 points and eight assists per game his senior season
  • Wife: Melody
  • Children: Maya, Marquez, Malia and Moriah
  • Education:
    • Liberty University (MS Exercise Science: Human Performance – 2022)
    • Concordia University (Master’s of Art, Education – 2009)
    • Multnomah University (Bachelor of Science, Education: Health – 2000)
    • Yakima Valley Community College (Associate of Arts, 1997

*All information in this bio comes from a press release provided by Alabama Athletics.


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