Updated: June 16, 2025
Kyle Barlow joined the men's basketball staff in April 2019 and works primarily with preparing the Ohio offense. While on staff, Ohio won the MAC Tournament in the 2020-21 season and knocking off Virginia, the defending national champions, in the first round.
In 2024-25, Barlow helped Ohio tally the third-best overall offense in the MAC. Ohio averaged 79.8 points per game, and had a .469 field goal percentage. Ohio was also effective from beyond the arc with a .362 three-point percentage. The squad also led the MAC in free throw percentage at .761. Ohio went to the MAC Tournament Semifinals for the fifth year in-a-row. Barlow helped coach four All-MAC nominees: AJ Clayton, Shereef Mitchell, Jackson Paveletzke and Elijah Elliott. Clayton was also named the Lou Henson National Player of the Week and Oscar Robertson Player of the Week.
In 2023-24, Barlow led an offense that averaged 77.3 points a game and had a .453 field goal percentage, .356 three-point field goal percentage and shot 73 percent from the line, while dishing out 14.1 assists per game. The Bobcats finished third in the MAC in the regular season and advanced to the MAC Semifinals for the fourth-straight year and his second 20-win season. Barlow helped coach Jaylin Hunter and Clayton to All-MAC honors, while Hunter also earned NABC All-District, Academic All-MAC and NABC Honors Court Recognition. The entire Bobcats squad also earned the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award. He also coached Hunter, Elmore James and Mitchell to MAC Player of the Week honors.
In 2022-23, Ohio's offense averaged .458 from the field, .373 from three and 73 percent from the line, while dishing out an average of 12.5 assists per game. Meanwhile, Dwight Wilson III led Ohio, averaging 15.4 points a game, while shooting 61.8 percent from the field, which led the MAC. Barlow helped coach Wilson III to All-MAC and NABC honors and Jaylin Hunter earned All-MAC Honorable Mention. A.J. Brown and Elmore James were named to the All-Freshman Team. Wilson and Ben Roderick were named Academic All-MAC, while Roderick earned a spot on the CSC Academic All-District Team.
2021-22 saw Ohio win 25 games and earn a trip to the CBI Quarterfinals. The offense that season averaged 74.0 points a game, while shooting .431 from the field, .335 from three and 72.7 percent from the line, while averaging 12.5 assists a game. Ben Vander Plas, Jason Carter and Mark Sears earned All-MAC and NABC All-District Honors, while Sears was named a Lou Henson Award Finalist. Vander Plas, Carter, Ben Roderick and Tommy Schmock earned a spot on the Academic All-MAC Team, while Vander Plas was named an Academic All-American for the second-straight year and was named the Division I Men's Basketball Academic All-America® of the Year.
2020-21 saw Ohio return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in nine years. Ohio won the MAC Tournament after defeating Buffalo, 84-69. In the NCAA Tournament, the Bobcats took down the defending national champion Virginia Cavaliers, 62-58, inside Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana.
Barlow helped coach point guard Jason Preston, who was selected 33rd overall by the Orlando Magic and then acquired by the LA Clippers in the 2021 NBA Draft. Preston - Ohio's 20th Bobcat to be drafted - was Ohio's first NBA draft pick since 2003. Preston was named MAC Tournament MVP, First-Team All-MAC, Academic All-MAC and was a Lou Henson Award Finalist.
Joining Preston on All-MAC teams were Dwight Wilson III and Ben Vander Plas, who were All-MAC Third Team. Meanwhile, freshman guard Mark Sears was named to the MAC All-Freshman Team, while sophomore guard Lunden McDay (Akron, Ohio) was named to the MAC All-Defensive Team.
In 2021, Ben Vander Plas was named 2020-21 Academic All-America, Ohio's first since Dave Jamerson in 1990. Vander Plas was joined by Preston, Ben Roderick and Dwight Wilson III on the Academic All-MAC team.
2019-20 saw Ohio go 17-15, with Ohio winning the first-round MAC Tournament game against Central Michigan before the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Jason Preston was named Second Team All-MAC, Ben Vander Plas was named All-MAC Third Team, while Lunden McDay was named to the MAC All-Freshman Team.
Prior to that, Barlow spent five seasons at Toledo, with the last two as an assistant coach. Prior to that, Barlow spent three seasons as the Rockets Director of Basketball Operations.
During his time at Toledo, Barlow played a role in the Rockets posting a 25-8 record and a 13-5 MAC record, helping clinch the MAC West for the second-straight season and a trip to the NIT. He helped lead Jaelan Sanford earn a spot on the ALL-MAC first team, with Marreon Jackson and Nate Navigato earning Honor Mention, while AJ Edu earned a spot on the MAC All-Freshman Team.
He was also a part of the 2017-18 Rockets squad that compiled a 23-11 record on their way to winning MAC West Division title and appearing in MAC Championship Game. He also helped Tre’Shaun Fletcher receive program’s first MAC Player of Year award in 37 seasons in addition to Sanford and Jackson earning spots on Second-Team All-MAC and MAC’s All-Freshman squads, respectively. He was also a part of 2016-17 Toledo squad that made its third postseason appearance in the last six years with a trip to the College Basketball Invitational. Seniors Steve Taylor, Jr. and Jonathan Williams were second-team and third-team All-MAC honorees, respectively.
He helped the Rockets register their fifth-straight winning season with a 17-15 ledger in 2015-16 as Nathan Boothe (first-team) and Jonathan Williams (third-team) received all-conference accolades, while also helping the Rockets register their second-straight 20-win campaign in 2014-15 in his first season with UT’s program. In that same season, Barlow played a role in four Rockets — Julius Brown (first-team), Justin Drummond (third-team), J.D. Weatherspoon (third-team) and Nathan Boothe (honorable-mention) — being named to the 2014-15 MAC all-league squad for a second-straight season.
Prior to Toledo, Barlow served as a graduate manager for the University of Michigan’s
basketball program for two years (2012-13) His duties with the Wolverines included directing the managerial program as well as assisting in the day-to-day operations of the basketball program. He Played a part in the Wolverines notching a 59-17 record for the most wins in back-to-back seasons in the history of the program.
Before his time at Michigan, Barlow served as an assistant coach at Concordia University in Ann Arbor (2010-12) where he was responsible for scouting opponents, player development and recruiting.
Barlow played for Concordia from 2006-10 where he earned four letterwinners and was two-time captain, He was named the Cardinals’ Defensive Player of the Year and given the Team Player Award as a senior. He also received Wolverine/Hoosier Athletic Conference Academic All-Conference on two occasions and was the recipient of the Champion of Character award in 2010.
Barlow earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education with a minor in mathematics from Concordia (Mich.) University in 2010 and he received a master’s degree in sport management from the University of Michigan in 2014.
Barlow resides in Athens with his wife, Sierra and two sons, Winston and Sonny.
