George Barlow, formerly interim head coach and defensive coordinator at the University of New Mexico, enters his first year at Vanderbilt. He will serve as defensive backs coach and defensive recruiting coordinator on James Franklin's staff.
Barlow served three years at New Mexico after a successful stint mentoring defenses at James Madison University in Virginia, one of the top teams in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
Barlow becomes the third highly respected former FCS defensive coordinator on Franklin's Vanderbilt staff. The Commodore defense is directed by Bob Shoop, former coordinator at William & Mary. Brent Pry, the former coordinator at Georgia Southern, serves as co-coordinator and linebackers coach.
Barlow began the 2011 season as UNM's assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. Four games into the season, Barlow was named the team's interim head coach after Mike Locksley was relieved.
Barlow's 2011 New Mexico defense was led by middle linebacker Carmen Messina. The senior was a first-team All-Mountain West Conference recipient after topping the league in tackles for a third straight year. He also broke the WAC career record with 454 tackles, including a career-high 21 stops in the 2011 finale at Boise State.
Barlow joined New Mexico after a highly successful decade of coaching at James Madison. Barlow experienced tremendous success at JMU, helping guide the Dukes to the 2004 NCAA I-AA national championship and FCS postseason appearances in 2006, 2007 and 2008.
Barlow's JMU was consistently among the nation's best. In 2006, the Dukes were second nationally in sacks and fourth in rush defense (84.8 ypg). In 2005, the unit ranked first nationally in rush defense. In JMU's championship season of 2004, the Dukes set a FCS record for sacks and ranked second in the nation in rush defense.
Barlow coached several JMU defensive standouts, including linebacker Akeem Jordan, the AFCA NCAA I-AA Player of the Year in 2006.
Serving as JMU's running backs coach in 1999 prior moving to the defensive staff, Barlow tutored Curtis Keaton to team records with 1,719 rushing yards and 20 rushing TDs. Keaton was later selected in the fourth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. The following year, Barlow coached JMU's Delvin Joyce when he became the first Division I-AA player to reach the 1,000-yard career mark in rushing, receiving, punt returns and kickoff returns.
Prior to James Madison, Barlow spent three years at Oklahoma, coaching outside linebackers and strong safeties in 1998 after serving as a defensive graduate assistant in 1996-97.
Barlow was the defensive coordinator at West Virginia State in 1995 and defensive line coach at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College in 1994. He started his coaching career as a defensive assistant at Marshall.
In college, Barlow was an all-conference safety at Marshall from
1986-90. He was a member of the 1987 Thundering Herd squad that played in the NCAA I-AA national title game.
Barlow graduated in 1990 with a degree in business administration concentrating in finance and business law.
Barlow has a daughter, Kierstin Paige.
The Barlow File Personal
Birthplace: Chicago, Ill.
Alma Mater: Marshall, 1990
Playing Experience: Marshall (Safety, 1986-90)
Coaching Experience
2011 - New Mexico (interim head coach/assistant head coach/defensive coordinator)
2009-10 - New Mexico (assistant head coach/defensive backs)
2004-08 - James Madison (assistant head coach/defensive coordinator/safeties)
2002-03 - James Madison (defensive line)
1999-2001 - James Madison (running backs)
1998 - Oklahoma (outside LBs/safeties)
1996-97 - Oklahoma (graduate assistant)
1995 - West Virginia State (defensive coordinator)
1994 - Hutchinson (Kan.) CC (defensive line)
1992-93 - Marshall (linebackers)
1991 - Marshall (graduate assistant)
