Oklahoma State University Athletics
Behind The Scenes With Johnny Barr
November 16, 2010 | Cowboy Football
Nov. 16, 2010
Every home game, Oklahoma State's Director of Football Recruiting has his eye on a number of potential future Cowboys.
Johnny Barr took over as the Director of Football Recruiting when a vacancy at the spot came up in 2008. Barr's previous experience with football and relationship with coach Mike Gundy made him the perfect candidate for the job.
Barr played his college ball as a defensive back at the University of Oklahoma. Upon graduation, he knew he wanted to be a coach so he started his career as a high school football coach in Texas.
He broke into the Division I coaching ranks in 1986 when he took a job as the outside linebackers coach at OSU. He coached at OSU until 1988 and developed a relationship with the Cowboys quarterback: Gundy.
Barr left to coach at OU before returning to OSU in 1995 as the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. He stayed for two seasons, both of which he spent on the coaching staff alongside Gundy.
Barr travelled around the country, taking defensive coaching jobs at a number of different campuses. In 2004, he decided he had enough coaching and wanted to take it a little easier on himself, but he did not want to leave football.
“I'm still around what I've done all my life, but I just don't coach on the field or sit in the meeting rooms all day,” Barr said. “I thought it was just a time in my life to make that change.”
When the Director of Football Recruiting spot opened at OSU, Gundy called Barr and offered him the job.
Barr's main responsibilities include mailing material to athletes and coaches about the Cowboys and how the season is progressing, scheduling for recruit visits and getting the athletes to come to summer camps.
On game days, Barr gets an opportunity to meet a large number of recruits and their families. He shows them a fun college football atmosphere at Boone Pickens Stadium.
“We get them in here, we check them in, we give them game tickets, we feed them a meal at the training table, which they have to pay for,” Barr said. “It's visiting with people, it's meeting, it's greeting, it's recruiting. Our coaches come up and stroll back there.”
The recruits are either invited to come to the game by the recruiting staff, or they can request to come visit. Either way, Barr said he is happy to have as many recruits come as possible.
After the meal, the recruits and their families have an opportunity to step out on the field with the team.
“We take them down to the team, and I welcome them,” Barr said. “We take them to the weight room. When the team goes out, we take them out on the field for the pregame warm up.
“Before the warm up is over, we take them to their seats.”
The recruits have a section of seats in the west end zone behind the goalpost. Once the recruits are situated in their seats, Barr becomes a spectator with one of the best seats in the house.
“I just become a guy that watches the game down on the sideline, cheering the team on and congratulating the players on good plays and just kind of watch the game,” Barr said.
Once the game is over, the recruits have an opportunity to see the locker room.
“At the end of the game, I'll get some players that we want, that we're recruiting,” Barr said. “I get them down on the field and take them and their parents into the locker room.”
Barr said his job of recruiting players is made much easier by the fact that OSU has been having success in football. The recent renovations to Boone Pickens Stadium and the athletic facilities have also made OSU a good sell for Barr.
“If you've got a good product to sell, recruiting is pretty good,” Barr said. “We're winning here, and we have great facilities and we're getting more so I enjoy what I do and I'm working with great people.”
