Ohio Valley Conference

Eastern Kentucky’s head athletics trainer from 1976-2003, Barton is considered a pioneer in the sports medicine field.  While serving as head trainer, he also taught classes at EKU in exercise and sports science.  He served as the physical education department chair at EKU and helped develop theCommonwealth of Kentucky’s athletic trainer certification law. 

Barton was the head trainer during the Colonel football team’s run of four straight national championship appearances (1979-1982).  He was selected as the head trainer for the USA national basketball team in 1995 when the team played at the World University games.  Barton was the first athletic trainer to be inducted into the Ohio Valley Conference Hall of Fame.