Long-time Goodrich head coach Gary Barns elected to the Michigan Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame
GOODRICH, Mich. — Gary Barns, the second-winningest boys’ basketball coach in the Flint area, wasn’t in the Michigan Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, but now he will join it. He has a record of 453-191, just behind Grover Kirkland who won 518 games. Robinson is in the third position with 422 wins and Dennis Hopkins with 408 wins after that.
Grover Kirkland, the winningest coach in the Flint area, Stan Gooch, and Jack Pratt are already included in the Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan Hall of Fame and now Barns will join them in the hallowed halls.
Barns told how he felt about being a part of the association.
“They were like my idols. Now my name is up there. It’s cool, I guess,” the ever humble Barns said.
Barns has been a staple in Goodrich basketball, being a part of the program since 1980. He was selected in 2020 for the Hall of Fame, but due to COVID-19 going on, it didn’t happen. Those previous events are happening now in 2020 and 2021. Now, the long-time Martians coach is one of the 13 people who were inducted into the Michigan Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame this year.
Barns was elected in July 2020, but not many people other than his family knew about it. Because first, he is not good at talking much about himself although he is 70. But this news was so great for him that he was speechless and didn’t know how to react or express his feelings. Barns gives credit for his success to the kids.
“What’s kept me in the business so long is good kids, good families, and I just love the game of basketball,” he said.
Barns life was full of traumas, but he faced everything so bravely that he still built an excellent career as a coach.
His son David was diagnosed with cancer and died in 2012, at the young age of 30. He was also a fantastic player and was listed as one of the top players of Goodrich on the’98-99 team. He then also worked with his dad as an assistant coach prior to his diagnosis. Barns, unsurprisingly, had to take leave to overcome the loss of his son.
Barns also faced significant health issues himself. He had a stroke in 2015. He also caught COVID-19 last year in November, a difficult diagnosis for a man of his age. In addition, he also went through an operation in January to remove his gall bladder.
On Oct. 2, Barns will officially be going to the Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the Auburn Hills Marriott.
This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.
