Meg Barber

Margaret Barber (born September 15, 1980) is an American college basketball coach who is currently the head women's basketball coach at New York University. Under her leadership, NYU won back-to-back NCAA Division III National Championships in 2024 and 2025, completing consecutive undefeated 31–0 seasons. Prior to becoming a head coach, Barber served as an assistant and associate head coach at Division I programs The College of William & Mary and Temple University.

Playing career Barber grew up in Hoosick Falls, New York. She was a 1,000-point scorer in basketball and scored 1,643 career points, setting the school record for girls basketball upon her graduation in 1998. In her senior season, she scored 586 points, which ranked 13th all-time in Section II history at the time. The team achieved a No. 1 national ranking during the 2000–01 season.

Coaching career

Utica College Following her graduation from NYU, Barber began her coaching career as an assistant coach at Utica College from 2002 to 2005. Her responsibilities included film breakdown, scouting, team defense, and coordinating recruiting visits. She also served as co-director of the Utica College Girls Basketball Camp from 2002 to 2004. She was promoted to associate head coach in 2010. Barber played a key role in developing several prominent players, including Kyra Kaylor, who was named Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Player of the Year in 2006, Taysha Pye, a four-time All-CAA selection from 2009 to 2012, and Tiffany Benson, who became the CAA's all-time leading shot blocker and the league's 2009 Defender of the Year. Under Barber's coaching, the Tribe posted four of the top five rebounding seasons in school history.

Temple University From 2012 to 2016, Barber served as an assistant coach at Temple University. She helped lead the Owls to consecutive 20-win seasons and berths in the Women's National Invitation Tournament in 2015 and 2016. While at Temple, she earned a Master of Science degree in Sports Business in 2015 and was also a candidate for Juris Doctor at Temple University Beasley School of Law before returning to coaching.

New York University (2018–present) Barber was named the 11th head coach in NYU women's basketball history on June 5, 2018, returning to her alma mater. In her inaugural season (2018–19), she led the Violets to a 17–10 overall record and a 6–8 mark in the UAA. The season culminated with NYU winning the ECAC Division III Championship with an 82–74 victory over Cabrini University. Barber was recognized as ECAC Division III Coach of the Year, MBWA DIII Coach of the Year, and was a WBCA DIII National Coach of the Year Finalist.

The program quickly ascended to national prominence under Barber's leadership. In the 2021–22 season, NYU reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament with a 27–3 record and won the UAA regular season championship. Barber was named WBCA Division III Coach of the Year, the first such honor in NYU program history. -0 record. The Violets defeated Smith College in the championship game to cap an undefeated season, the first in program history. NYU ranked first in NCAA Division III in field goal percentage (49.0%), third in three-point percentage (37.1%), fourth in scoring margin (+26.1), and sixth in both blocks (6.2) and assists (18.5) per game. The championship marked the first for NYU women's basketball since 1997.

USA Basketball In May 2024, Barber was selected as head coach of the USA Basketball Women's U17 National Team for the 2024 FIBA U17 Women's World Cup in Mexico. She became the second-ever NCAA Division III coach to lead the U17 Women's National Team and the first in the history of NYU or the University Athletic Association. The team went 7-0 and won the gold medal in Leon, Mexico, in July 2024, defeating Canada 84–64 in the final.

Recognition In 2022, Barber won her first WBCA Coach of the Year award and received the Pat Summitt Trophy, named for the late University of Tennessee coach and awarded annually to the coaches of the year in each of the WBCA's membership divisions. In 2024, Barber was named 2024 USA Basketball's Junior Coach of the Year. In 2025, Barber was awarded the 2025 WBCA NCAA Division III Coach of the Year for the second time.

Head coaching record