Taking Care of Business
The road to my current position as Director of Business Development for Industrial Reliability & Repair was actually a hardwood floor. I carried a basketball rather than a briefcase. Known as "The Lady of Firsts," I became the first basketball player in NCAA history, male or female, to record 2,000 career points and 1,000 assists during my four-year career at Christopher Newport University. While the ink on my diploma from CNU was still drying, I was hired at age 22 to create and coach the small college level women's basketball program for the Newport News Apprentice School, which had never fielded a women's athletic team in its more than 75-year history. In just six years we were women's small college national champions. Not only were the Apprentice women basketball champions, but their success that began with eight-hour days wearing hard hats and steel-toed shoes before basketball practice led many to places in high management at the Newport News Shipyard. I followed the hardwood road to head coaching positions at four colleges, three of them -- Elon, Old Dominion and North Carolina-Wilmington -- at the NCAA Division I level. During my 27 years as a college basketball coach I won 440 games and nine of my players were named to halls of fame, while I have been inducted into five halls of fame, including the inaugural class at Newport News Apprentice and at CNU. I learned along the way on that hardwood road to success that, more than basketball, I loved developing women who would become productive members of society. So, when the opportunity to mentor and coach the men and women of IRR to contribute to one of America's fastest growing construction and repair companies in America, I jumped at it. Maximizing potential is a subject I am passionate about and have spoken about for organizations like Home Depot, the NCAA Leadership Academy and as the keynote speaker at the 2023 ABC Carolinas Construction Convention. In March, I authored my first book, "Brave, Bold & Barefoot," about my career in basketball and the motivational keys to success. Within weeks it rose to No. 3 on the Amazon bestsellers list in the category of Personal Motivation.
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Passionate About Inspiring Others
From childhood to coaching years, Karen has earned her way at every level and is the kind of role model that overachievers dream of.
Success Leaves Footprints
Karen Barefoot began her coaching career as one of the youngest head coaches in the country and has proven herself as a winner that has made history in resurrecting programs, winning championships, producing success in the classroom and in the community. Every day, on and off the court, Barefoot brings limitless energy, passion, focus, dedication and motivation to her programs and her passion for the game of basketball is unparalleled. Her career has been highlighted with firsts... She was the first player in NCAA history, male or female, to score over 2,000 points and accumulate 1,000 assists. While at Christopher Newport, she was first in the nation in assists all four years and the first player featured in Sports Illustrated Faces in the Crowd in 1994.
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Her first Hall of Fame induction came by way of her alma mater, Christopher Newport University, where she was formally inducted in 1999. She was later inducted into the 2010 Hall of Fame class by the USA South Athletic Conference and most recently was part of the inaugural Hall of Fame class of the Newport News Apprentice School as a credit to all of her improbable accomplishments.
Following her playing career, Barefoot began her coaching at the age of 22 at The Apprentice School, where she began the first women's athletic program. Under her tutelage, the Lady Builders women’s basketball program achieved respectability and captured the Apprentice's first national title in 2001 by winning the National Small College Athletic Association tournament. That season she became the school’s first National Coach of the Year. Barefoot proved to be a strong mentor at a young age as her former Academic All-American Keisha Pexton became the first female and African-American to serve as Athletic Director, holding a manager-level position at The Apprentice School since its inception in 1919. Barefoot was also was the first to be inducted to the Apprentice School Hall of Fame and paved the way for two of her players (Taffey Thomas and Melissa Morton) to later be inducted into the Builder Hall of Fame.
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In 2001 she led Lenoir-Rhyne to its first South Atlantic Conference regular season title, SAC Tournament Championship and its first trip to the NCAA Division II National Tournament. Barefoot also coached Lenoir-Rhyne’s first NCAA First Team All-American, SAC Player of the Year and SAC Tournament Most Valuable Player in Crystal Clary. From Lenoir-Rhyne she became an assistant under the famous Wendy Larry for three seasons, before taking over the Elon women’s basketball program in 2008. She helped the program 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. That year the team also made an appearance in the Women’s Basketball Invitational, the first postseason appearance in program history since joining Division I. Her player, Ali Ford, was also named the program’s first Freshman of the Year and First Team All-Conference honoree in its Division I era.
In 2011 Barefoot was named the leader of ODU women’s basketball program and served for six seasons, leading the Lady Monarchs to much success. Barefoot led ODU to the C-USA Tournament championship game for the first time since joining the league and played an instrumental role in the program’s second-consecutive Education Day sellout, a game that has turned into a Norfolk Public Schools tradition realizing the first ever women’s basketball sellout at the Ted Constant Center in 2014. Barefoot’s mentoring also led to Jennie Simms becoming ODU women’s basketball first Conference USA Newcomer of the Year and a two-time First Team All-Conference honoree for the first time since T.J. Jordan earned two CAA accolades in 2007 & 2008. Barefoot also saw Simms, along with her first WNBA Champion Shae Kelley, score 1,000 points in two years, marking the first time since Clarisse Machanguana achieved that feat in the mid-90’s. Simms was drafted in the 2nd round by the WNBA Washington Mystics in 2017. Barefoot has had over 35 players to play overseas across the globe.
In 2017 Barefoot was selected by the University of North Carolina Wilmington to lead the Lady Seahawks Women’s Basketball program. In her first 11 games she has accomplished several milestones for the program. The Lady Seahawks are experiencing their best start at UNCW in 10 years with a record of 6-0 at home in non-conference play. Barefoot has also managed to change the direction and outlook of the program in just a few short months. Her passion and tenacity for excellence has given players a new outlook in a winning culture and has managed to produce players that are rising to the top.
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Karen continued her success while at UNCW and guided the program to achieve heights never seen by the the program in its 49 year old history. Barefoot’s first year with the Seahawks 2017-2018 season, Barefoot guided the squad to its best start in 10 years after UNCW authored a 7-4 non-conference record, including a 6-0 start at Trask Coliseum. The Seahawks posted an 18-12 record in 2018-19 that secured the team’s FIRST winning season in seven years and authored a 13-1 mark inside Trask Coliseum 2018-2019 season, matching the program record for home wins in a single season, FIRST in Division 1 Era. UNCW earned a share of third place in the Colonial Athletic Association regular season standings in 2018-19 after finishing with an 11-7 conference record FIRST time earned third seed since 2011. They were the ONLY team to defeat CAA regular season champion James Madison during league play, posting a 66-63 victory at Trask Coliseum on Jan. 18. 2019. The Seahawks generated a 38 –point margin is the LARGEST margin of victory in Barefoot’s era at Trask Coliseum, Nov 11, 2019. As a result of the Seahawks’ improvement, a trio of student-athletes earned 2019 All-CAA, marking the FIRST time in program history three UNCW players have received a spot on the all-conference team in the same season. Redshirt senior guard Shrita Parker and redshirt junior guard GiGi Smith were tabbed Second-Team All-CAA while junior guard Lacey Suggs was a Third-Team selection. For the first time in school history a UNCW women’s basketball player Shrita Parker Earned National Player of the Week by U.S. Basketball Writers Association January 22, 2019. After graduation, Shrita signed a professional contract to play at the top level in Glanmire, Ireland. Rebekah Banks, WBB Alumna 2018, Academic Excellence 2018 Awards: Earned UNCW Chancellor’s Cup Award, Most Outstanding Cameron School of Business Graduate, Senior Medallion Award, CAA Women’s Basketball Scholar Athlete of the Year, Dean’s List- Every semester at UNCW, The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation Nominee, NCAA Post Grad Scholarship Nominee, Carolina Panthers Graduate Scholarship Recipient, Presented Honors Thesis at The Economics Scholars Program for Undergraduate Research Conference. Under Coach Barefoot’s Leadership she has a perfect APR Score 3 years in a row at UNCW.
Additionally, Karen has already made an impact in the Wilmington community during her two years at UNCW. She was featured in the April, 2019 edition of WILMA Magazine and was a nominee for the Cape Fear YWCA Woman of the Year Award in May, 2019.