Elon University Director of Athletics Dave Blank announced the hiring of Karen Barefoot as the Phoenix women's basketball coach on April 7, 2008. Barefoot is the fifth head coach in the program's history.
“Karen brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to our program,” said Blank. “She is a proven winner, having had success everywhere she’s been including a national championship and several conference championships as a head coach, and most recently three consecutive conference championships and a Sweet 16 finish this year at Old Dominion. We are very excited to have Karen bring this level of experience and success to Elon and the Southern Conference.”
Barefoot helped Elon reach new heights in 2010-11, as the Phoenix finished the season with a 20-13 record – the program’s best season at the Division I level and only the fifth team program history to reach the 20-win plateau. The Phoenix’s 11 victories inside Alumni Gym marks the most home wins in a single season in the Division I era, while the team’s postseason appearance in the Women’s Basketball Invitational was the first since joining Division I. Elon recorded its 20th win of the season in the WBI after a 103-72 drumming of USC Upstate in the first round. Barefoot also led Elon to 12 victories in SoCon play, doubling last year’s total and tying the 2003-04 squad for the most SoCon wins in a season. Under Barefoot’s tutelage, the Phoenix went 9-2 in January after reeling off seven-straight wins, including the program’s first ever win over Chattanooga on the road. Elon won eight SoCon games in a row from Dec. 20 to Jan. 22, which set the program record for consecutive league wins since Elon officially became a member of an athletic conference in 1977-78.
Prior to coming to Elon, Barefoot was an assistant coach for the Old Dominion University Lady Monarchs, where the team compiled a 77-23 record and was a perennial top-25 program. In 2007-08, ODU advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, defeating 12th-seeded Liberty University and fourth-seeded University of Virginia before falling to top-seeded University of Connecticut, completing a 31-5 record for the 2007-08 campaign. Along with its 17th consecutive Colonial Athletic Association crown, ODU earned a ranking as high as 11th in the nation.
Barefoot was responsible for the development of post players as well as guards during her three seasons at ODU.
“My drive and determination to be a successful Division I head coach are second to none and I pledge a 100 percent commitment to Elon and our student-athletes," Barefoot said. "I will continue to stress academic and athletic integrity and instill the importance of commitment and dedication that this university expects and deserves.”
Barefoot has had previous head coaching experience at the collegiate level as she led the Lenoir-Rhyne College Bears from 2001-2005. While at the NCAA Division II school, Barefoot captured the first South Atlantic Conference regular season title in school history in 2003-04 en route to claiming league Coach of the Year honors. Under her leadership, the team also grabbed the first SAC tournament championship in school history in 2002-03. That year, the team finished the season ranked eighth in the region following its first-ever trip to the NCAA Division II National Tournament. In her first year at Lenoir-Rhyne, she led the program to its best record in 15 years, going 19-9.
Barefoot coached Lenoir-Rhyne’s first NCAA First Team All-American, South Atlantic Player of the Year and SAC Tournament Most Valuable Player. Additionally, under her guidance the Bears had four student-athletes ear All-SAC honors and 13 student-athletes named to the SAC Commissioner’s honor roll.
Prior to her stint at Lenoir-Rhyne, Barefoot spent six season at the Apprentice School after helping to initiate and develop the first-ever female athletic program in the 75-year history of the school. A two-time NSCAA National Coach of the Year (1999 and 2001), she compiled a 102-43 mark and captured the 2001 NSCAA National title. The Builders had seven NSCAA All-Americans and four Academic All-Americans under Barefoot.
A three-time Kodak/WBCA All-American, Barefoot spent her playing days at Christopher Newport in Newport News, Va. Barefoot still holds the recognition of being the first player in NCAA history, male or female, to score over 2,000 points and accumulate 1,000 assists during her career. Barefoot was the only player to achieve this height until Gonzaga's Courtney Vandersloot accomplished the feat on March 21, 2011. For four consecutive seasons, Barefoot led the nation in assists and is CNU’s all-time leader in scoring, assists and steals. Barefoot is a member of the CNU Athletic Hall of Fame. The USA South Conference named Barefoot to its 25th Anniversary Team in 2006.
Barefoot graduated from Christopher Newport with a degree in recreation and leisure studies in 1995.
