Kellee Barney was announced as Santa Clara Women's Basketball Assistant Coach on March 31, 2025. She was previously on Loree Payne's staff at Northern Arizona for all eight years of her tenure as an assistant coach.
In eight seasons seasons, Barney assisted with the development of 14 players earning a total of 22 All-Big Sky honors including six first-team nods. She guided the Lumberjacks to three-straight Big Sky Championship games and a 2022-23 regular season title. Of the court, Barney helped lead NAU's recruiting and academic efforts.
Barney arrived at Northern Arizona University with nearly three decades of Division I coaching experience, including three stints in the Pac-10 Conference. In her last stop before joining NAU Barney was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Montana State from 2012-15. While at Montana State, she recruited and was part of the developmental process of two players – Jasmine Hommes and Peyton Ferris – who would go on to be voted the Big Sky Conference Most Valuable Player. Hommes and Ferris both rank among the top 10 all-time scorers at Montana State.
Barney, an established coaching veteran, spent time as an assistant at Oregon State (2008-10), Arizona (2002-08) and Washington State (1985-94). Between her 17 combined seasons in the Pac-10, she was a part of four 20-win seasons, three of which came during her six seasons at Arizona. Her teams reached the NCAA Tournament three times (2003-05) while at Arizona and once at Washington State in 1991 along with a WNIT appearance with Oregon State in 2008. By the end of her tenures, she was elevated to Assistant Head Coach at Arizona and Associate Head Coach at Washington State in addition to serving as recruiting coordinator at both institutions.
She has coached multiple players to All-American honors led by Shawntinice Polk, who received six honors over three years at Arizona from 2003-05. Barney also mentored Dee-Dee Wheeler – the third all-time leading scorer at Arizona – to a pair of All-American nods along with Jenni Ruff and Jonni Gray (Mauch) at Washington State, both of whom still remain in the top-five in scoring at Washington State over two decades later.
Barney also has head coaching experience having served as the head women's basketball coach at Gonzaga for six years from 1994-2000. While at Gonzaga, she produced eight all-conference selections and her 1998-99 squad ranked in the top 10 nationally for overall team grade point average. Her credentials also include her initial coaching job as an assistant at Portland State from 1983-85 and as an assistant coach for the Pac-10 All-Star teams in 1989 and 1992 during their foreign tours.
She starred at Idaho where she played for the Vandals from 1982-83 and was part of Idaho's 1982 Northwest Empire League and regional champion team that posted a 27-5 record. Previously, she played two seasons at Wenatchee Valley College where she led the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges in free throw percentage and helped her team to a combined 55-2 record and back-to-back NWAACC State championships.
Barney graduated from Idaho with a bachelor's degree in Sociology in 1983.
