Barbara Farris - Women's Basketball Coach

Barbara Farris

Title:
Assistant Head Coach
Email:
barbara.farris@usm.edu

A ten-year WNBA veteran, four-time all-conference selection, five-time state championship winning coach and member of three different Hall of Fames, Barbara Farris brings a skill set unlike any other to the Hub City.

“I am beyond thrilled to join the Lady Eagle family and begin a new basketball chapter here in Hattiesburg,” said Farris. “Coach McNelis has built a program that is known for the kind of fundamental throwback basketball that utilizes the post positions of which I am most familiar. I hope I can lend my insights from years spent playing this game and help elevate our ladies to more continued success. I am so excited to represent the Hub City.”

“Barbara brings a great deal of playing and coaching experience from different levels,” said McNelis. “She was a great player at Tulane and in the professional ranks. She is a great teacher of the game and she understands key components that will give our post players and edge for their skill set. I am so excited to have someone of her knowledge and understanding of how to relate to players at many different levels. It is obvious that Barbara has a tremendous work ethic and understands that every day must count. Her success in the high school, college and professional ranks proves she relates well to all student-athletes.”

The Metairie, La. native joins the Lady Eagles after a three-year stint with the Stetson Hatters. Working under long-time head coach Lynn Bria, Farris oversaw the Hatters’ front court development. The Hatters posted 43 wins over the three-year span, culminating in a 20-12 finish in 2021-22.

While in DeLand, Fla., Farris oversaw two second-team All-ASUN team members, one All-Freshman team member and a Newcomer of the Year nod.

Prior to her time in DeLand, Farris coached at John Curtis Christian School in River Ridge, La. Her time with the Lady Patriots proved to be historic as she posted a 291-64 mark over her 10 years at JCCHS. 15 Lady Patriots made their way to the next level, including JerKaila Jordan, 2020 Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year, 2020’s No. 1 prospect in Louisiana, unanimous five-star recruit and Louisiana’s Miss Basketball.

Additionally, John Curtis claimed five state championships, including four-in-a-row, (2011-12, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20) and one runner-up title (2012-13). The Lady Pats collected nine district titles in four different districts across three classifications.

Farris also worked with the WNBA’s New York Liberty from 2018-19 and 2012-14 as an assistant coach along with a two-year span as the WNBA’s player liaison to the National Basketball Retired Players Association from 2016-17.

Her time in the WNBA’s coaching ranks stems from her storied past in the ranks of the WNBA’s players. Beginning in 1998 when the American Basketball League’s New England Blizzard selected her with the third overall pick. Farris played half a season with the Blizzard before the ABL folded during the 1998-99 season.

The Detroit Shock called Farris up to the WNBA the 2000 season, the first of 10 seasons in the league. Her first six seasons in the league were spent entirely with Detroit, where the Shock won the league’s title in 2003 under Coach Bill Laimbeer. The Shock later moved to Tulsa from 2010-15 and, since 2016, are known as the Dallas Wings.

Farris played the 2006 and 2007 seasons with the New York Liberty, enjoying her best statistical season in 2006 where she tallied 261 points in 34 games along with 178 rebounds. In 2008, she suited up for the Phoenix Mercury. In her 10th and final year, Farris spent time with Sacramento and Detroit, retiring at the end of the season.

Over 10 seasons, she tallied 1,094 points, 777 rebounds, 160 assists, 103 steals and 32 blocks in 280 games. She owns a career field goal percentage of 43.3 percent and a career free throw percentage of 68.2 percent. Farris reached the playoffs five times and from 2000-08 she played for a variety of FIBA and International teams.

Before her 12-year professional career, Farris became a standout center for the legendary Lisa Stockton at Tulane. In four years Uptown, Farris and her No. 54 jersey became feared by the opposing front courts of the Metro Conference and Conference USA. Farris earned All-Conference honors in each of her four seasons, including first team All-Metro honors in 1994-95, first team All-Conference USA honors in 1996-97 and second team All-Conference honors in 1995-96 and 1997-98.

In her debut season for the Olive & Blue, Farris earned the admiration of the Metro as she received Rookie of the Year and a spot on the All-Metro Rookie Team. She also earned a position on the All-Metro Tournament Team. Tulane made the 1994-95 NCAA Tournament, the first in school history.

Farris’s Tulane career netted her 1,729 points – the sixth most by any player in Green Wave history – as well as 939 rebounds, 105 assists, 47 blocks, 144 steals, 660 field goals and 408 free throws. Her career field goal percentage of 63.7 (660-of-1,036) is the best mark by any Tulane player in the program’s history. Her 14.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per game are eighth and fourth all-time on the Green Wave’s career charts.

In total, Farris owns a spot inside the top ten in 11 Tulane career categories: field goal percentage (1st), free throws attempted (3rd), offensive rebounds (3rd), free throws made (4th), rebounds (4th), defensive rebounds (4th), rebounds per game (4th), career starts (4th), field goals made (6th), points per game (8th) and minutes per game (9th).

Each of her four seasons field goal percentage ranked inside the top ten in Green Wave season records, notching in at No. 1, 4, 6 and 9.

1997 earned Farris national attention as her post play earned the Green Wave a 27-5 record, the Conference USA Regular Season Title, the Conference USA Tournament Title and a run to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. While propelling Tulane to the postseason, Farris earned WBCA/Kodak All-American Honorable Mention Honors, the second member of Tulane women’s basketball to feature on the list.

Her 62.3 field goal percentage finished eighth-best in the NCAA and her 13.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game led the Green Wave. 21 of her games featured double-figure points. Her time in New Orleans came to a close as the first member of the Green Wave to earn All-Conference honors four-straight years. After graduating in 1998, Farris began her professional debut.

Tulane inducted Farris into their Hall of Fame in 2004.

Winning is no stranger to Farris. While prepping at Saint Martin’s Episcopal School (Metairie, La.), the Saints collected two basketball state titles in 1993 and 1994 and two track and field state titles in 1993 and 1994 as well. Farris earned All-State honors in 1993 and 1994.

She earned a spot in the Saint Martin’s Alumni Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011 and received an additional Hall of Fame nod in 2015 as a member of the 1993 championship team which finished with an undefeated 36-0 record.

In 2017, Farris earned a spot in the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame for her success at every level of basketball and dedication to her community.