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ABILENE, Texas - Abilene Christian University director of athletics Lee De León announced Monday that he has informed head track and field coach Keith Barnier that his contract will not be renewed at the end of the 2015-16 season and that he has been relieved of his duties, effective immediately.
Associate head coach Jerrod Cook - who filled in as the interim head coach in spring 2013 when Roosevelt Lofton was fired just before the start of the outdoor season - will once again fill in as the interim head coach for the remainder of the 2016 spring season.
"I appreciate Keith's contributions to the track and field and cross country programs at ACU, but after much thought and prayer, I believe we need a change of direction," De León said. "In his three years as our head coach, Keith did an admirable job in rebuilding those teams and I respect the work he did here. But we have to improve in several other areas aside from our competitiveness so that we can put together the type of overall program of excellence we all desire."
De León said a national search for Barnier's replacement would begin immediately. Neither De León nor anyone associated with ACU athletics will have any further comment on the situation until a new coach is named.
In three seasons, Barnier built the women's cross country team from the ground up, taking it from seventh place in 2013 to fifth place in 2014 to the Southland Conference title in 2015, ACU's first Southland Conference title since the university began its transition from NCAA Division II status to NCAA Division I affiliation in July 2013.
The ACU women's team finished second at last month's Southland Conference indoor championship meet after finishing fourth in 2015. The men's team finished sixth at the indoor meet after finishing tied for fifth in 2015 and sixth in 2014. The men's team finished fourth at the outdoor championship meet in both 2014 and 2015.
The Wildcats still have four meets left on the schedule: at the Red Raider Open this weekend, at the John Jacobs Invitational in Norman, Okla. (April 23), at the Oliver Jackson Twilight Invitational in Abilene (April 27), and at the Southland Conference championships (May 6-8 in Corpus Christi).
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Associate head coach Jerrod Cook - who filled in as the interim head coach in spring 2013 when Roosevelt Lofton was fired just before the start of the outdoor season - will once again fill in as the interim head coach for the remainder of the 2016 spring season.
"I appreciate Keith's contributions to the track and field and cross country programs at ACU, but after much thought and prayer, I believe we need a change of direction," De León said. "In his three years as our head coach, Keith did an admirable job in rebuilding those teams and I respect the work he did here. But we have to improve in several other areas aside from our competitiveness so that we can put together the type of overall program of excellence we all desire."
De León said a national search for Barnier's replacement would begin immediately. Neither De León nor anyone associated with ACU athletics will have any further comment on the situation until a new coach is named.
In three seasons, Barnier built the women's cross country team from the ground up, taking it from seventh place in 2013 to fifth place in 2014 to the Southland Conference title in 2015, ACU's first Southland Conference title since the university began its transition from NCAA Division II status to NCAA Division I affiliation in July 2013.
The ACU women's team finished second at last month's Southland Conference indoor championship meet after finishing fourth in 2015. The men's team finished sixth at the indoor meet after finishing tied for fifth in 2015 and sixth in 2014. The men's team finished fourth at the outdoor championship meet in both 2014 and 2015.
The Wildcats still have four meets left on the schedule: at the Red Raider Open this weekend, at the John Jacobs Invitational in Norman, Okla. (April 23), at the Oliver Jackson Twilight Invitational in Abilene (April 27), and at the Southland Conference championships (May 6-8 in Corpus Christi).
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