USU Eastern mourns loss of head coach
USU Eastern’s men’s basketball head coach was found dead Tuesday afternoon in his apartment. The cause of his death is still unknown.
When Brad Barton, 31, did not show up to basketball practice, assistant coach Brian Edelstein began to worry and went looking for him, said Greg Benson, vice chancellor for Academic Affairs and Student Services. Edelstein found Barton dead in his apartment in Price, and Benson said police found no evidence of foul play. There will be a medical review to determine the cause of his death.
Previously, Barton was the captain of Weber State University’s men’s basketball team. Barton served as interim head coach under Chris Craig during the 2010-11 season and was gearing up for his first season this year as head coach.
A campus-wide meeting was held Wednesday morning at which USU Eastern’s chancellor Joe Peterson spoke of the sadness and shock the tragedy caused, Benson said.
Roughly 40-50 chairs were set up at the meeting, and Brad King, USU Eastern’s vice chancellor, said he was moved by the attendance of approximately 250 students, faculty and staff members.
“That was a great testimonial of the effect he has had across campus, not just in Athletics,” King said. “You can see people walking up to and talking to the players asking if they are OK. The community has similarly been engaged. He was not just the players’ coach and their mentor, but a father figure and everything else.”
Jan Thorton, director of USU Eastern’s Student Counseling Services, also spoke at the meeting to reassure students that the way they were feeling about the loss was normal. She also walked them through the steps of the grieving process, Benson said.
A service for Barton is tentatively scheduled for 11 a.m. in the Dee Events Center at Weber State University in Ogden.
In addition, USU Eastern will hold a candlelight ceremony Monday, Oct. 10, at 7:30 p.m. in The Pit, an amphitheater located behind the Price campus’s library. Barton’s family has expressed interest in starting a scholarship for USU Eastern men’s basketball players, King said. Students signed USU Eastern blankets to give to the Bartons in memory of their son. This is usually a tradition USU Eastern follows when a campus employee retires or moves away, King said.
“We saw him as a very talented coach and person,” Benson said. “He was 100 percent committed to his student-athletes, the program, and very involved and engaged not only on the court, but off the court.”
Barton was concerned with keeping his players’ grades up and each of their lives as individuals, Benson added.
“There are emails going back and forth about fond memories of him,” King said. “It’s been a week that I would never want to repeat. I’ve seen some good things that have restored my faith in humankind.”
Administrators will determine changes to be made to the men’s coaching staff in the coming week, King said.
– catherine.meidell@aggiemail.usu.edu