Tanner Barton - Head Coach - Staff Directory - Bowling Green State University Athletics

Staff Directory

Tanner Barton

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
Phone:
419-372-2060

Tanner Barton was named the 11th women's swimming and diving coach at Bowling Green on April 3, 2024. Barton comes to BGSU after spending four seasons as the head coach for men's and women's swimming and diving at John Carroll University, which is a nationally ranked Division III intercollegiate program in nearby Cleveland, Ohio.

In just four years at John Carroll, Barton led JCU to eight total Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) championships which includes four on the men's side and four on the women's side. His time at John Carroll has boasted 21 CSCAA (College Swimming Coaches Association of America) first-team All-Americans and 11 CSCAA first-team Scholar All-Americans. His teams set 27 OAC records and notched 104 conference championship titles (68 individual, 36 relay titles).

"Tanner Barton is high-energy, high-impact, and a transformative leader," said van der Merwe. "He has been thrust into leadership roles from his time as a student-athlete in the Mid-American Conference to coaching positions over the years. In each role, he has significantly and positively impacted the trajectory of the programs and distinguished himself as a change agent. I am excited to partner with him in building a swim and dive program that has consistent success and evolving BGSU's commitment to swim and dive in the region. His contagious energy and passion will make BGSU Athletics better every day."

"Upon coming to campus, I quickly learned how BGSU is at the heart of this city," said Barton. "As a relational leader, I am eager to become a member of the community and build meaningful partnerships. I want to thank President Rogers, Derek van der Merwe, Stacy Kosciak and Chet Hesson for entrusting me to lead the women's swimming and diving team. With steadfast commitment to bettering ourselves in and out of the pool, I am confident the current and all future Falcons will proudly represent BGSU. I am extremely excited to begin, and the future is bright!"

The four years Barton was at John Carroll were electric, including setting 41 school records. He coached multiple national championship qualifiers each year and the 2023 men's team finished Top-15 as Barton coached the national runner-up in the men's 100-yard backstroke. The 2022 season saw JCU's men's team finish 13th, which is the best since 1989. During his time at JCU he produced 202 All-OAC honorees and set a conference record for most points scored at the championship meet for both the men (2022) and women (2023). His staff earned conference coaching staff of the year honors in each of his four seasons.

Barton previously spent one season at Anderson University in Indiana as the head men's and women's swimming and diving coach. In his role at Anderson, Barton championed the formation of the diving program. During his only campaign, he led Anderson student-athletes to 57 record-breaking performances including 30 new program records. Barton's teams were named CSCAA Scholar All-America teams in both the fall of 2019 and spring of 2020. He also coached the program's first Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) champion and Scholar All-American.

Prior to holding the head job at Anderson, Barton spent 2018-19 a at Cleveland State. During that time Barton was the lead coach for the 2019 Horizon League Women's Swimming and Diving Athlete of the Year, Molly McNamara. McNamara was also named the Female Scholar-Athlete of the 2018-19 Winter Season by the Horizon League.

Barton enjoyed a successful collegiate career at Ball State, where he was selected as a team captain for his junior and senior years and ranked second all time in the 200-butterfly with a time of 1:50.09. During his senior year, Barton earned the Bob James Memorial Award, which is awarded to the Mid-American Conference (MAC) student-athlete of the year. He was a four-year finalist at the MAC Swimming & Diving Championships. Barton was also a representative of the MAC Council of Student Athletes and Ball State's Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC). Barton began coaching collegiately at his alma mater, Ball State. While serving as the program's graduate assistant from 2017-18, Barton coached the 200-yard backstroke record holder.

A native of Dublin, Ohio, Barton graduated from Ball State's Honor College in 2017 with summa cum laude honors and a bachelor of arts degree. He was a double major in health science and Spanish. In May of 2019, he earned a master of science degree in exercise science with an emphasis in sport performance from Ball State and also earned a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in management and organizational leadership from John Carroll in August of 2024.

WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT TANNER BARTON

"Tanner comes to BGSU after a highly successful stint at John Carroll, where he won championships at the Division III level while working with no scholarships. Not only can he coach what happens between the walls, but he also connects with student-athletes on the mental side of the sport in such a positive way that attaining the common goal becomes a reality for the team. Tanner will be able to elevate the Bowling Green Swimming & Diving program as a great motivator and recruiter who will identify the needs and appropriately fill those gaps so the program can attain ultimate success. He is a home run hire for Bowling Green." - Dr. Ron Zwierlein, BGSU Hall of Famer/Former BGSU student-athlete, swimming & diving head coach and Director of Athletics

"I have spent over five years daily with Tanner while he was an outstanding student-athlete and my graduate assistant. I can share without a doubt, every single day Tanner not only showed commitment to his teammates, but also led by example with his work ethic, his supportive demeanor, and his obvious love for the sport of swimming. He was always upbeat, supportive, prepared for every challenge and never lacked the ability to face any adversity head-on. He has proven himself to be an asset to any program." - Bob Thomas, former head coach of swimming and diving at Ball State

"Tanner is a transformative leader that advocates for his student-athletes as he deeply cares for the individuals that make up and support his programs. He has found success in creating and fostering a championship culture which has allowed his teams to compete consistently at a high level and on the national stage. He will be an immediate asset to the Bowling Green community." - Michelle Morgan, former director of athletics at John Carroll

"Bowling Green has made an exceptional hire in Coach Tanner Barton. Tanner is passionate, high-energy, driven and seems to have an incredible rapport with his student-athletes. He is committed to a holistic development of young people that transcends sport – but he is also highly competitive and knows how to win. I am certainly sad to see him leave the OAC, but very excited to follow his success at Bowling Green from afar."  - Sarah Otey, former Commissioner of the Ohio Athletic Conference

"Congratulations to BGSU on selecting Tanner Barton as the next Head Swimming and Diving Coach. Success has followed him everywhere as a swimmer and coach. He has coached at every level and has responded by leading his teams to unprecedented record-breaking performances. He is a great coach and a better person. As a collegiate coach for 41 years, it is obvious to me that the future is bright for Tanner and his teams!" - Wally Morton, Cleveland State University Emeritus Head Swimming & Diving Coach

"I was excited for Coach Barton when I heard the news he would be leading the way as the next head coach at Bowling Green State University. His familiarity with the Mid-American Conference and rise within the coaching ranks highlight his qualifications on paper, but it is his passion, demeanor, and charisma which will help him connect with his student-athletes and lead them toward new goals. He will undoubtedly represent the program and the University in an incredibly positive way."  - Andrew Hendricks, Franklin College Vice President for Athletics

"Tanner believes every individual has something to contribute to collective success. He empowered my former teammates and I to step up in and out of the pool. Tanner commits to making the team better competitors, students and leaders. He carries a positive and upbeat energy any time of the day with his genuine smile and will embrace the team and campus culture."  - Westin Fishel, former John Carroll swimmer and current volunteer coach at JCU

"Bowling Green is very fortunate to bring on Tanner Barton as their new Women's Swimming & Diving head coach. Tanner is not only a talented coach, but a mentor who fosters strong bonds with his athletes. His ability to connect on a personal level while pushing for excellence in the pool is unparalleled." - Lewis Fellinger, John Carroll diving coach, AAU Aquatics National Chair