Piscataway, N.J. – Rutgers swimming and diving head coach Chuck Warner announced Friday the addition of Penn State graduate Jessica Barnes as an assistant coach.
“Jessica’s analytical ability, experiences with championship teams and commitment to coaching really stood out to me,” said Warner. “With her previous coaching positions, as well as coming from a family of highly skilled coaches, Jessica brings a great deal of experience and knowledge with her to our team.”
A native of Glenmoore, Pa., Barnes swam at Penn State University, graduating in 2007 with a degree in Elementary and Kindergarten Education with a minor in Kinesiology. She was a standout student, earning Dean’s List honors seven times and Academic All-American honors twice. Barnes also was an outstanding swimmer for the Nittany Lions.
A member of two Big Ten Conference Champion teams, as well as a runner-up squad, Barnes garnered two All-American Honorable Mention awards. She was named the Lions team captain during her senior campaign. Her coaches honored her as team MVP and most improved swimmer – the Nittany Lion Award – in 2007.
“I am excited to join the Rutgers swimming and diving program,” said Barnes. “Rutgers University provides a great opportunity for its student-athletes to excel. Rutgers has a long-standing tradition as being a top competitor in the BIG EAST Conference, and I am proud to be a part of that. I am looking forward to helping this team achieve great success in and out of the pool.”
Specializing in the middle distance freestyle events, Jessica is a seasoned veteran of multiple NCAA Championships and Senior National meets. She was a member of the student-athlete advisory board at Penn State, and was also an active participant in Athletes In Action.
Jessica ended her 17-year career in competitive swimming by diving right into the coaching arena. She helped coach BCAT Aquatics at State College and soon took on the assistant coaching roles for both State College Area High School and Bellafonte Area High School before taking the job at Rutgers.
