Troy University Athletics
Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 2020
A life-long Trojan and one of the most decorated coaches in Troy Athletics history, Barney Burnett’s induction into the Troy Hall of Fame has been a long time coming.
“Before Barney was named the head coach, he would help recruit for the program and help with scheduling practice at the Country Club,” former Troy Athletic Director and Troy University Sports Hall of Fame member Robert Earl Stewart said. “He played golf all over, so he had a network of people that could help him with recruiting, and that was what directed me to hire him.”
Burnett, who has lived in Troy since 1948 and graduated from Troy State in 1961 following four years as a student-athlete, was named the head coach of the men’s program in 1986. Before, during and after his tenure, all the Trojans knew was success.
In his first season in charge of the Troy men’s golf program, Burnett guided his Trojan squad to a Gulf South Conference Championship. For an encore, he went on to lead his Trojan program to three additional Gulf South Championships and a second-place finish over the course of his five seasons.
“With [Barney’s] talent for playing the game of golf, and what was already a very strong Troy team, he kept the strong recruiting going and the high standards that Troy has for golf,” Stewart said. “It was the strong recruiting that allowed [Barney] to win all the conference championships and regional championships that he did.”
While dominating the Gulf South Conference, Burnett was also beating up on the rest of the country. Burnett’s teams made seven appearances in the NCAA Division II Championship, finishing second in 1992, third in 1987, fourth in 1989, 1990 and 1991, sixth in 1988 and ninth in 1993.
After dominating at the Division II level, Burnett guided Troy to a seamless transition to the Division I ranks. Without missing a single beat, Burnett had his squad competing and winning conference championships from the start. Burnett’s squads went a perfect 4-for-4 in championships in their first four years at the Division I level while also advancing to the NCAA East Regional in just their second season at the Division I level.
“There are two programs in sports where the numbers don’t lie and one is golf. You shoot to score, and you shoot not to score,” Stewart said. “The quality of the golfers Barney recruited to Troy, and them being able to shoot the scores that they shot, helped Troy keep its success going when they moved to Division I.”
After Burnett’s successful career as the men’s head coach, he was promoted to Director of Golf in 1996, where he would also become the head coach of the women’s program. Burnett showed why he was an elite level head coach as he guided his women’s programs to nine team titles in five years, including 11 different individual tournament titles.
“The main thing I’d want to share about Barney was his stress for excellence,” Stewart said. “He didn’t except low quality, and he wanted the Troy golf program to do well. He was able to recruit and that’s what allowed him to win so many championships.”
