SAN DIEGO – San Diego State football has hired Zac Barton as their new associate head coach and special teams coordinator. Barton comes to The Mesa after one season at Kansas University where he served as the Jayhawks' special team analyst. In total, he has 16 years of collegiate coaching experience.
In his lone season at KU, the Jayhawks ranked seventh in FBS in special teams grading according to Pro Football Focus, grading just behind CFP playoff teams Alabama, Texas, and Washington. Kansas would go on to earn a selection into the 2023 Guaranteed Rate Bowl to cap off an 8-4 regular season, their best regular season record since 2007.
Prior to Kansas, Barton coached the special teams at Kent State from 2018-22 under head coach Sean Lewis and helped the Golden Flashes' special teams unit to new heights.
In 2022, Barton's special teams unit showed up in the rankings for the second season in a row, ranking 15th nationally in kick return defense. Come award season, kickoff return specialist Ja'Shaun Poke earned all-MAC second team honors with 430 total return yards, including a 27.4 average kick return on 15 attempts.
The 2021 season saw kicker Andrew Glass earn a third-team All-MAC selection. Glass made 21 of his 28 field goal attempts, including a career-long of 43 yards at Akron. He was perfect on PATs, hitting 50 out of 50. The Flashes special teams were especially stout when it came to defense, ranking 8th nationally in kick return defense and 11th nationally in punt return defense.
Barton's 2019 special teams unit had an incredible season that saw them rank sixth in FBS according to ESPN's Special Teams Efficiency rankings. Two special teams players wound up earning all-MAC honors including kicker Matthew Trickett being award the Mid-American Conference Special Teams Player of the Year. Punter Derek Adams received third team all-MAC honors. Kick returner Jamal Parker also received all-MAC honors at defensive back, but he was a huge contributor to the teams as well setting the Kent State kick returning record with 797 return yards.
In his first season as special teams coordinator in 2018, Barton oversaw Matthew Trickett's sensational freshman season as he was named to the All-MAC First Team. Trickett made 14-of-17 field goals including a 49-yarder, the longest by a freshman in school history. Barton improved the kickoff return average of more than five yards per return in his first season.
Prior to working at Kent State, Barton spent the previous six seasons as an assistant coach for Winona State, where he served as co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach. He was also the Warriors' recruiting coordinator.
In 2012, the first season of his second stint at Winona State, Barton helped the Warriors win 10 games and earn an appearance in the Mineral Water Bowl. The following season, Winona State's special teams excelled, finishing second in the nation with six blocked kicks. The Warriors finished second in their conference in both punting and punt returns.
Prior to Winona State, Barton worked with the offensive line at the University of Memphis, helping with all aspects of the offensive game plan.
In 2010, Barton was on staff with Sean Lewis at Nebraska Omaha, serving as defensive line coach.
Barton's first stint with Winona State came in 2007, lasting three seasons coaching the defensive line and special teams. The Warriors captured the NSIC title and earned a spot in the NCAA Division II playoffs during his first season.
A 2006 graduate of Bloomsburg University, Barton earned a degree in history. He was an all-conference and all-region selection as a senior at Bloomsburg and a member of three conference championship teams. Barton was also a CoSIDA Academic All-Region selection and a four-time member of the PSAC All-Academic Team.
In 2009, Barton received his Master of Science degree in sports management from Winona State.