Richard Barron has turned the University of Maine women’s basketball program from an America East bottom-dweller to a conference championship contender.
The Black Bears have posted a 78-79 overall record during his five seasons in Orono, claiming a share of the America East regular-season title each of the last two years.
UMaine has been among the most dominating teams in the league over the last three seasons, posting a 66-32 record that includes a 29-3 conference mark from 2014-16.
UMaine athletics director Karlton Creech would like to keep the momentum going by signing Barron to a contract extension.
“It’s something that we expect to happen,” Creech said.
“He wants to be here and continue on with the success he’s had,” he added. “We expect that Richard’s going to be our coach, and that’s a great thing for us, and we’re excited about that.”
However, Barron and Creech aren’t expected to discuss the contract until the Black Bears have completed their season.
“His attention and focus needs to be on these students and their performance and coaching them,” Creech said. “As soon as the season’s over, he and I will get together and finalize things.”
Barron could not be reached for comment on Tuesday.
The 47-year-old Barron is likely to be a more marketable commodity as a head coach than when he arrived in Orono back in 2011.
He was hired at UMaine as he sought to again become a head coach after four seasons as an assistant, first at national power Baylor, then at North Carolina State. He previously had guided the Princeton women’s program for six seasons (2001-07).
The lingering question is whether Barron is content to spend more time at UMaine or if he has aspirations of becoming the head coach at a high-profile program in a Big Five conference such as the Southeastern, Atlantic Coast, Big Ten, Big 12 or Pac 12.
“There’s nothing negative about the situation, it’s all positive on both sides,” Creech said.
Barron is in the final year of his original five-year contract signed in 2011. It pays him $122,000 this year as he received $3,000 increases each year for four years on top of his original $110,000 salary.
However, money was not the most important factor in his decision to accept the UMaine job five years ago. He had stepped away from a more lucrative assistant’s position at Baylor in 2009, citing a busy, hectic pace that limited spending quality time with his wife, Maureen, and childen Lane, Rae and Billy.
His experience at North Carolina reinvigorated his desire to become a head coach, and UMaine was in need of someone to turn its program around.
“You want to be somewhere where you’re wanted, where you’re needed,” Barron said after coming to UMaine.
Even so, Barron will have the opportunity this spring to re-evaluate his situation and consider his next move.