Tommy Barksdale is in his third season as Morehead State's head coach for cross country and track and field.
Barksdale became the program's full-time coach in July 2011. In his first year, he helped re-vitalize the track and field prorgram, increased overall student-athlete participation on the team, and maintained the competitive nature of the cross country teams.
Prior to accepting the job at MSU, Barksdale was an assistant coach at Troy University from August 2007 until May of 2009. While at Troy he was in charge of the distance runners, coaching the men’s 1500 meter run and the women’s 3000 meter steeplechase, both of which tallied points for the Trojans at the 2009 Outdoor Sunbelt Conference Championships. He also coached the women’s distance medley relay team to score at the 2009 Indoor Sunbelt Conference Championships.
Barksdale also was in charge of cross country travel and budget. He directed daily training and oversaw cross country recruiting. He assisted with day-to-day operations and served as the meet director in 2008 and 2009 for the Trojan Cross Country Invitational and the Coach O Cross Country Invitational.
Barksdale moved to Troy after a stint at Wallace State Community College in 2006, where he coached the NJCAA Region XXII men’s cross country runners up. In 2007 he coached NJCAA indoor All-American, Thuom Mathiang, who earned All-American honors in the 800 meters and was part of the All-American 4X400 meter team. He also coached outdoor 1500 meter All-American Michael Chapa.
Barksdale began his coaching career at the University of Montevallo in 2004, where he assisted with coaching and team travel. He is an active member in United States Track and Field, United States Track and Field Coaches Association, and Jump for Heart, a program of the American Heart Association.
A native of Gardendale, Ala., Barksdale earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Mississippi State University in December of 2002. He also has an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts at Bevill State Community College, where he was a member of the Dean’s list for two years prior to graduation in December of 2002.
At Bevill State Community College, Barksdale lettered two years in cross country and track and field. In 1998 he was a member of the All-Region XXII men’s cross country team and in 2000 he was the team captain for the NJCAA national championship squad. While at Mississippi State, Barksdale lettered in track and field from 2001 to 2003. He was a part of the Mississippi State Student Athletic Organization for two years and he assisted with the Special Olympics.
