Jason Barnes as Wide Receivers Coach in January 2025. The 2026 season will be his second with the Hilltoppers.
During his first year with WKU, Barnes helped the Hilltoppers to the top scoring offense in Conference USA at 29.54 points per game, as well as the third-best passing offense in the league at 272.15 yards per game. He coached Matthew Henry to All-CUSA Second Team honors and K.D. Hutchinson to All-CUSA Honorable Mention accolades, after both finished in the top 10 in the league in receptions.Henry finished first in CUSA in receiving yards per game with 68.31 and ninth in CUSA in receptions per game, and he had three 100-yard receiving games. Following the season, Henry earned NFL Rookie Minicamp invitations from the Tennessee Titans and the San Francisco 49ers. Hutchinson was fourth in CUSA in receptions per game with 5.08, and he was second in receptions per game during CUSA contests at 5.38 receptions per game.
Barnes joined the WKU coaching staff after spending two seasons at Charlotte, where he served as Wide Receivers Coach in 2024 and as an Offensive Analyst in 2023.
He has also had stops at Coastal Carolina as an Offensive Analyst, at Bridgewater College as Wide Receivers Coach and at Georgia Military College as Wide Receivers Coach during his career. Barnes began his coaching career at Dutch Fork High School in South Carolina, where he spent six seasons.
Barnes played wide receiver at South Carolina from 2007-11, where he appeared in 51 games over the course of his career. Following his time in Columbia, the Charlotte, North Carolina, native played professionally with the San Diego Chargers and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
Barnes and his wife, Nicole, are the proud parents of two children: Jada and Jace.
