Gustavo Barrios wasnamed interim head coach for Pacific’s men’s andwomen’s swimming programs on September 1, 2011.
Barrios had been anassistant coach for the Tigers for three years, following sixseasons as an assistant coach at Cleveland State.
As the Tigers’assistant coach, Barrios was responsible for the organizational andadministrative components of the men and women’s program,such as recruiting and providing perspective into the sport fromhis successful career as a student-athlete.
As the director ofPacific’s sprint program, Barrios coached then-senior JennyLewis to the NCAA Championships in 2009, where she placed 51st inthe 50 Free and 61st in the 100 Back.
Barrios played a keyrole in the Orange and Black’s recent successes, helping toguide the men’s team to a second-place finish in theinaugural Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships lastseason. He coached 14 student-athletes to All-MPSF honors in2011.
During his time in thewater, Barrios won multiple league championships, event titles (100Free and 200 and 400 Free Relays), and was a finalist in severalother events during his four years (1999-2003) with the ClevelandState Vikings. As a freshman in 1999, Barrios anchored the 400 FreeRelay team that clinched the Midwestern Collegiate Conference teamchampionship for the Vikings.
A native of Panama,Barrios has had the distinction of representing his country inseveral international competitions. He represented Panama at the2001 FINA World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, at the 1998Central American & Caribbean Games in Maracaibo, Venezuela,sand the 2001 Central American Games in Guatemala.
A member of theDean’s List during his four years at CSU, Barrios receivedthe 2002 Barnes and Noble Director’s Award for the highestcumulative grade point average among all graduatingstudent-athletes.
His insight andknowledge into the sport of swimming allowed him to excel as arespected coach in the Horizon League with Cleveland State. Inaddition, his ability to relate to current swimmers throughperformances in the water as well as academically provided thecoaching staff with tremendous insight.
Barrios has earned hismaster’s degree in sports management and exercise sciencefrom Cleveland State in 2007.
