Oral Roberts University and Athletic Director Tim Johnson have announced the hiring of Kory Barnett as the 13th head coach of the men’s basketball program.
Dr. William M. Wilson, President of ORU, commented on this significant addition to the ORU Athletics family. “We are excited to welcome Kory Barnett as our new men’s head basketball coach. Kory is a great young man with a bright future in basketball and in life. His deep commitment to Christ and to developing student-athletes both on and off the court fits perfectly at ORU. There are great days ahead for ORU men’s basketball.”
“Among an extremely deep and talented candidate pool, we were incredibly impressed with Kory Barnett. From playing at Indiana to serving as an assistant at UCLA, Nevada, and West Virginia, Kory’s background is basketball rich. His career includes five Sweet 16’s, multiple conference championships, and he has developed and recruited over 20 NBA players,” said Athletic Director Tim Johnson. “He wants to play fast with a defensive mentality that will translate into conference championships. More importantly, he will develop a team that ORU can truly be proud of, both on and off the court. The best is yet to come!”
Barnett joins the Golden Eagles after serving as an Assistant Coach on Darian DeVries’ staff at West Virginia this past year. Barnett helped lead the Mountaineers to a 19-13 record during the 2024-25 season. Prior to WVU, Barnett spent five seasons at Nevada and six seasons at UCLA, working for coach Steve Alford at both places. In his illustrious basketball career, Barnett has been a part of eight NCAA Tournament teams, including five in the Sweet 16, two conference championship teams, seven 20-win seasons, 278 victories, and 19 NBA players (9 1st round draft picks, 2 NBA champions, 1 NBA All-Star and 1 Gold medalist).
At Nevada, Barnett served as an assistant coach, contributing to the Wolf Pack’s 96 wins, including 26 victories and NCAA Tournament appearances in the last two seasons. With a primary focus on defense, he helped Nevada consistently rank among the top teams in the Mountain West in various defensive metrics, finishing 71st in KenPom in 2022-23 and improving to 42nd in 2023-24 as the team posted a combined 48-19 record. Additionally, he was responsible for orchestrating the Wolf Pack’s schedule for the 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 seasons.
In 2021, Barnett stepped in as Nevada’s head coach for a game against Pepperdine during the COVID season, leading the team to a 79-66 victory. Recently, he was recognized on Silver Waves Media’s “75 Rising Stars: Impactful Men’s Mid-Major Assistants” list and was an honored guest at the “Elite 50 Power Future Head Coaches Invitational” in April 2024.
Before Nevada, Barnett was part of UCLA’s staff from 2013 to 2019, holding various roles, including assistant coach, director of operations, director of scouting & player development, and video coordinator. In December 2018, he was promoted to assistant coach before joining Alford at Nevada. During his six seasons with the Bruins, UCLA made four NCAA Tournament appearances (2014, 2015, 2017, and 2018), advancing to the Sweet 16 in 2014, 2015, and 2017.
“It is an honor to accept the head Men’s Basketball position at Oral Roberts University. I could not be more grateful to Dr. Wilson and Tim Johnson for the opportunity to take over such a special and historic program. I’m humbled to follow in the footsteps of the incredible coaches and players who have helped build the proud tradition of ORU basketball,” Coach Barnett said. “My staff and I will work tirelessly to build a championship program that will make each and every Golden Eagle proud. Our mission will be to develop men of high character, compete at the highest level, and pursue excellence in everything we do—mind, body, and spirit. The passion and energy our team plays with will be felt every single possession.”
“We need each and every one of you to help make the Mabee Center one of the loudest and most electric environments in all of Oklahoma next season! God has blessed my family and I beyond belief, and we cannot express the excitement we feel to join this amazing community. From the moment we stepped on campus, we felt a sense of purpose and calling. This isn’t just a job—it’s a ministry, a mission, and a family. We can’t wait to get started—let’s build something unforgettable together. Go Golden Eagles!”
A native of Rochester, Indiana, Barnett played at Indiana from 2009 to 2012, helping the Hoosiers return to the postseason for the first time since 2008 and reach the NCAA Sweet 16 in his senior year. He earned three Academic All-Big Ten honors and was nominated for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award after his junior season. Following his playing career, Barnett served as a graduate assistant at Indiana in 2012-13, contributing to the Hoosiers’ Big Ten regular-season championship and another Sweet 16 run.
Barnett holds a bachelor’s degree in sports communications from Indiana. He and his wife, Sarah, have two sons, Brooks and Blake.
A press conference to formally introduce Head Coach Kory Barnett will be held Monday, March 31 at 2:00 p.m. inside the Mabee Center.
