Men's Basketball
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- barsh@gonzaga.edu
- Phone:
- 509-313-6377
R-Jay Barsh enters his fourth season as an assistant coach on Mark Few’s staff in 2026-27. Barsh joined the Gonzaga men’s basketball program in April 2023 after spending the 2022-23 season as an assistant coach under Leonard Hamilton at Florida State. A veteran coach with more than 15 years of experience, Barsh has been an important contributor to Gonzaga’s continued success on the national stage, with an emphasis on recruiting, player development and game preparation.
During his first three seasons at Gonzaga, Barsh helped the Bulldogs compile a 78-21 record, win two West Coast Conference regular-season championships, capture two WCC Tournament titles and earn three NCAA Tournament berths. Gonzaga advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2024, reached the second round again in 2025 and returned to the NCAA Tournament in 2026.
In 2025-26, Barsh helped Gonzaga to a 31-4 record, including a 16-2 mark in WCC play. The Bulldogs won the WCC regular-season championship before capturing the conference tournament title in Las Vegas. Gonzaga earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, defeated Kennesaw State in the opening round and finished the season ranked No. 18 in the final Associated Press poll.
Barsh joined the Bulldogs following one season at Florida State, where he served as an assistant coach under Hamilton during the 2022-23 season. Prior to Florida State, Barsh spent three seasons as an assistant coach under Leon Rice at Boise State. During his time with the Broncos, he helped Boise State produce one of the best seasons in program history in 2021-22. The Broncos went 27-8, setting program records for total wins, conference wins and consecutive victories while winning the Mountain West regular-season championship outright and capturing the Mountain West Tournament title. Boise State earned a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Boise State became just the fifth team in Mountain West history to win both the outright regular-season championship and conference tournament championship in the same season. During Barsh's three seasons with the Broncos, Boise State averaged 22 wins per season and also advanced to the NIT quarterfinals in 2021.
Prior to Boise State, Barsh spent seven seasons as the head coach at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Fla. He led the Fire to three NAIA Division II National Tournament appearances, the first postseason appearances in program history. In his second season, Southeastern went 27-7 and advanced to the NAIA Fab Four during the program's first postseason tournament run, earning Barsh recognition as a finalist for the Don Meyer National Coach of the Year Award. He also led the Fire to NAIA tournament appearances following the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons.
Barsh began his coaching career in the Pacific Northwest. He spent four seasons at Tacoma Community College, helping the Titans win three Western Region titles and the 2012 NWAACC championship. Tacoma Community College also advanced to the NWAACC Elite Eight in 2009. Prior to TCC, Barsh spent one season at Lincoln High School in Tacoma, helping guide the team to the state Final Four and a 26-5 record.
Barsh also served as an assistant coach at the University of Puget Sound, his alma mater, from 2005-07. In his first season with the Loggers, Puget Sound finished 26-5 and advanced to the NCAA Division III Elite Eight.
Barsh played collegiately at Tacoma Community College from 2001-03, helping the Titans to a 30-3 record and the 2002 NWAACC championship. He earned all-conference honors during his sophomore season before transferring to the University of Puget Sound.
Barsh earned his bachelor's degree in communications from Puget Sound in 2007.
He has two sons, Carson and Greyson.
