Paul Barrett - Women's Track and Field Coach - University of Montana Athletics

Paul Barrett

Title:
Assistant Coach
Email:
paul.barrett@mso.umt.edu
Phone:
243-5413

Paul Barrett spent one season as an assistant coach with the Montana track & field program, coaching the throwers in 2020.

Despite his short tenure in Missoula, Barrett made a big impact, helping two throwers set school records. Shawn Humphries reached 62-4.5 in the weight throw while Brent Yeakey set the all-time mark in the shot put (59-0.75). Yeakey finished fifth at the Big Sky Conference indoor championships, one of two Griz scorers.

Barrett came to Montana with nearly three decades of experience, including the previous 24 seasons at Wyoming, where he coached 19 All-Americans, 32 conference champions, 114 all-conference performers and a national champion.

During his lengthy tenure at Wyoming, Barrett coached Ryan Butler, who in 1996 won a national title in the weight throw. Butler was one of numerous top athletes mentored by Barrett. In total, he has coached athletes who have gone on to be All-Americans in the weight throw (10), shot put (four), hammer (three), discus (one) and javelin (one). He has coached several Wyoming school record-holders, in addition to Kate Burton, who participated in the Olympic trials in the hammer throw

Prior to his time at Wyoming, Barrett held coaching stints at Kentucky (SEC) and Colorado (then the Big 12).

Barrett began his collegiate career at Spokane Community College, where he was a three-time NWAACC conference champion and three-time JuCo All-American in the hammer throw and discus. In 2013, he was inducted into his school’s hall of fame. Barrett then finished his throwing career at Washington State, where he was a Pac-10 finalist in the hammer throw. He graduated in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in recreation leisure studies.

Barrett, a Spokane, Washington, native, has two grown daughters, Kala and Kelsey.