Carrie Barker
	Position: Head Coach Experience: Fourth Season Alma Mater (Year): Wisconsin (1995)

Head women's soccer coach Carrie Barker now enters her fourth season at the helm of the Huskie women's soccer program in 2011. In her three previous years she has led the team to a record of 23-26-9 (.474), including 11 wins in Mid-American Conference play.

In her three seasons at Northern Illinois, Barker has led the Huskies to the MAC Tournament to compete for the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Championship. NIU has averaged seven shutouts a season and has only allowed 1.12 goals per match in that same time frame.

2010 saw the Huskies return to postseason play, as they won nine matches and boasted a 9-9-1 record, including a 5-5-1 record, sixth-place, in the MAC. Defender Mo Smunt became the first Huskie to be named first team All-Mid-American Conference since 1999, after aiding a defense that recorded seven shutouts (t-fourth in MAC) and recording a goal and an assist. Smunt, along with forward Anne Wyer, were named to the All-MAC's All-Academic team for their work on the field and in the classroom.



In 2009, NIU Barker saw defender Lauren Eberts become the third player in school history named to the Mid-American Conference All-Freshman team. In addition, Northern Illinois goalkeeper Lindsey Curnock broke the MAC record for career shutouts with 27, while setting the Northern Illinois record for career shutouts. 



Barker's team carries its passion for success into the classroom. During the 2009-10 academic year, the Huskies earned a 3.265 grade point average, marking the fourth-straight semester the NIU women's soccer team has achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher under Barker's guidance. The Huskies have had 15 players honored as Victory Scholars (3.50-4.00 GPA) and 20 earn Huskie Scholars (3.00-3.49 GPA) status over the past two years.



In her first season with NIU, Barker guided the Huskies to their best start in school history, jumping out of the gate with a 5-1-3 record. Northern Illinois also posted seven wins (7-2-1) at the then-brand new NIU Track and Field & Soccer Complex, and shutout its opponents nine times on the season.



The Huskies ended the 2008 season with a record of 9-6-5 (5-4-2 MAC) to claim their second nine-plus win season in the past decade. NIU earned the No. 6 seed in the Mid-American Conference Tournament, but dropped a 2-0 decision to third-seeded Eastern Michigan in the first round.



Now entering year number four in the Cardinal and Black, Barker welcomes back 16 letterwinners, including six starters, to go along with 12 newcomers who will be instrumental in helping the Huskies to climb the MAC standings and chase a postseason berth.



Prior to arriving in DeKalb, Barker served as assistant coach for three seasons at Wisconsin, her alma mater. There, she helped the Badgers clinch two NCAA Tournament appearances and a Big Ten Tournament Championship in 2005. During the 2004 season, Wisconsin earned a NCAA first round victory. While on the Badger staff, Barker was the camp director and was part of an International Tour to Germany during the 2006 Men's World Cup Tournament.



Before her term in Madison, Barker was part of seven-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including a 2002 quarterfinal berth, during seven years as an assistant coach at Michigan. Barker helped the Wolverines advance to the NCAA second round six times, reach the third round twice, and capture a pair of Big Ten Tournament titles. While at Michigan, Barker served as interim head coach during part of the 2001 season and was the camp director for six years.



Barker is a United States Soccer Federation "A" licensed coach. She has also held positions on the 2004 under-14 National Team staff, the Michigan Olympic Development Program staff for seven years and the Olympic Development Region II Staff from 1990-93. In 1996, Barker was on the coaching staff for the Michigan Hawks, one of the top club programs in the nation. 


A four-year letterwinner at Wisconsin, Barker, then Carrie Maier, captained the 1994 Big Ten Tournament Championship team and helped the Badgers reach the NCAA quarterfinals three times, and advanced to the national title game in 1991. Individually, Barker was named a second-team central region All-American in 1990.



Following her collegiate career, Barker played five seasons in the "W" League, two years of semi-pro soccer in Denmark and was part of the WUSA, the first women's professional soccer league, in 2000.

Barker has vast experience in international competition as a member of the U.S. Olympic Festival team from 1997-99, Olympic Development regional team from 1995-99 and having played or coached in Denmark, Germany, Italy, Holland, Sweden and Belgium.



The Farmington Hills, Mich., native became the first female inducted into the Farmington High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001.



Barker, who was born in Bogota, Colombia, graduated from Wisconsin in 1995 with a bachelor's degree in recreation resource management. She and her husband, Stuart, reside in DeKalb.

THE BARKER FILE

Birthdate: Nov. 18, 1971
Birthplace: Bogota, Colombia
Hometown: Farmington Hills, Mich.
High School: Farmington High School
College: University of Wisconsin, 1995. (B.S. recreation resource management)

College Coaching Experience
Head Coach, Northern Illinois, 2008- Present
Assistant Coach, Wisconsin, 2004-06
Assistant Coach, MIchigan, 1997-2003

Club Coaching Experience
Staff, Wisconsin Olympic Development Program, 2005-06
Staff, U-14 National Camp, 2004
Staff, MIchigan Olympic Development Program U-18, 1995, 1997-2002
Staff, MIchigan Hawks, 1996
Staff, Region II Olympic Development Program, 1990-93

Career Highlights
NSCAA central region second-team All-American, 1990
NCAA championship runner-up, 1990
Big Ten champions, 1994
World Cup Organizing Committee, Detroit 1994
Olympic Festival selection, 1997-99
W-League Combine, 2000
Farmington High School Hall of Fame, 2001