Email: mbarany@richmond.edu
Phone: 804-289-8750

A-10 Coach of the Year in 2006 and 2007

On the heels of his second season with the Spiders, head coach Matt Baranay has continued a long-established winning tradition at the University of Richmond.

Taking the reigns of the Spider program in May of 2005 after serving as the director of swimming at James Madison University, Barany has helped extend Richmond's streak of six-consecutive Atlantic 10 Championships.

Under Barany's direction in 2006-07, the Spiders captured the Atlantic 10 Championship, winning by more than 250 points for the fourth-straight season. He guided two Spiders to the NCAA qualifying marks, the fourth-straight season Richmond has advanced at least one to the NCAA Championships.

Three A-10 individual honors remained in Richmond hands during Barany's second year -- Lauren Beaudreau was named the fifth-straight Most Outstanding Performer from Richmond. Katie Sieben became the sixth-straight A-10 Most Outstanding Rookie from Richmond, and Barany extended the A-10 Coach of the Year streak at Richmond to six-straight.

Nine Spider records fell in 2006-07, after seven were were snapped in Barany's first year. The Spiders saw seven Atlantic 10 records fall into their ownership in 2006-07, with four being broken in Barany's first year. Richmond now has 13 A-10 marks in its six-year stint with the league. All five relay records in the conference are controlled by the Spiders.

During the summer of 2006, Lauren Beaudreau qualified for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials in the 200 IM, 400 IM and the 200 breast. Beaudreau, under the direction of Barany, won the 200 IM event at the 2006 Speedo Junior National Championships with a mark of 2:18.38, setting a new Junior National record. Her time of 2:35.89 in the 200 breast placed 10th, while her 4:53.44 in the 400 IM was good for second place at the Junior National Championships.

A Midlothian, Va. native, Barany guided both the men and women's programs at JMU in 2004-05 after serving as the men's head coach the three previous seasons. Barany led the women's program to four school records and had one of his swimmers earn an NCAA "B" qualifying time in his first year with the program.

While coaching the men's team at Madison, he mentored nine CAA Champions and seven school record-holders. Four new pool records were established during Barany's tenure.

Barany graduated from James Madison in 1995 with a B.A. in English. He earned a secondary education certificate in 1996 while serving as an assistant coach on the CAA Championship men's team. Barany later put his degree to work in the Peace Corps where he spent two years teaching English in rural Kenya.

A decorated student-athlete who served as team captain during his senior season, Barany swam freestyle on four-straight Conference Champions (1992-95) and three ECAC title teams. He was a two-time recipient of the Steve Miller Award, an annual team honor that recognizes athletes who best exemplify enthusiasm, energy, dedication and love for swimming.

In 1999, Barany started the women's swimming program at Randolph-Macon College. During his final season (2001) in Ashland, Va., he earned Old Dominion Athletic Conference, Atlantic States Conference and Randolph Macon Coach of the Year honors.

Barany returned to Harrisonburg on July 18, 2001. His first team set three school records and finished second at the CAA Championships. Another second-place finish in 2003 was highlighted by a conference record in the 200 medley relay and five league titles. In 2004, the squad went 9-4 in dual meets and finished third at the CAA meet.

A member of the College Swim Coaches of America, Barany is also affiliated with the American Swim Coaches Association. A graduate of Clover Hill High School in Midlothian, Va., resides in Richmond.