Scott Barker enters his sixth season as Head Coach of the Norwich University men’s tennis program in 2026, following a record-setting 2025 campaign that cemented the Cadets as one of the top rising programs in the region.
Barker guided Norwich to a 10-4 overall record in 2025, the most wins in program history, while capturing the team’s first postseason victory and home playoff match since 2015. The Cadets finished 4-1 in Empire 8 play and advanced to the conference semifinals, ultimately falling to top-seeded Nazareth University.
Under Barker’s leadership, five players earned Empire 8 All-Conference honors: Keagan Bakke, Terrance Bayly-Henshaw, Jaxson Redmond, Stephen Hartigan, and Gabe Wettig. Norwich also racked up seven weekly conference awards during the season. The team went 92-30 across singles and doubles play, including a 61-19 singles mark and a 31-11 doubles record.
Beyond his collegiate success, Barker has built a decades-long legacy as a teacher, coach, and innovator in the tennis world. He has managed clubs in Vermont, Florida, and North Carolina, while also running The Vermont Tennis Academy since 2012 and serving as the tennis director in Montpelier since 2013.
A certified member of both the USPTR and USPTA, Barker has taught players of all ages and abilities, learning from legendary figures such as Stan Smith, Jimmy Connors, Billie Jean King, and others. He has developed elite high school, collegiate, and professional talent through his distinctive instructional approach centered on technical growth.
Barker was named USTA New England Volunteer of the Year in 2013. He is also the creator of Safe Zone Tennis, a training model designed to help athletes safely continue their development during the COVID-19 pandemic.
When not on the court, Barker enjoys painting, music, and gardening alongside his wife, Dee.
