By David Fleet
Editor
Play hard, play smart and play together.
Few coach legends loom larger in Goodrich sports then Varsity Basketball Coach Gary Barns, whose inspirational quips and enduring diligence have pushed his Martians to a stellar career record of 454-191.
“I don’t have a life,” said Barns, 70. “I don’t bowl, smoke, golf or drink, I’m just boring, but I coach basketball. It’s the greatest game. Still after more than 600 games and three decades I still strive to get to the top of that mountain.”

That upward climb recently reached a new pinnacle. At 5:30 p.m., Oct. 2, Gary Barns will be inducted in the Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Michigan, at the Auburn Hills Marriott, Pontiac.
The BCAM Hall of Fame inducted the first members in 1985 with the purpose to honor those coaches who had been successful for many years. Currently there are more than 150 coaches in the BCAM Hall of Fame. To qualify for the Hall of Fame a coach must have coached Varsity/College Head Basketball for 20 years or more and/or accumulated 300 or more victories. Barns will join Tom Izzo, Michigan State University, John Beilein, University of Michigan and Dan Fife Clarkston.
“Coaching has its peaks and valley—you can’t get too up or too down—remember you’re dealing with kids,” said Barns, who was recently named Associated Press Division 2 Coach of the Year.  “We are not a complex basketball team, rather we play the game right and work on fundamentals. We also make sure our players know we care.”
In the 2019-20 coronavirus shortened season, Barns and his Martian team tallied a 21-1 record including 16-0 in their first year in the Flint Metro League. Then in the 2021 season Martians played 16 games winning the Flint Metro League and the district title but lost to Croswell-Lexington in the Regional Finals. Barns was named the Flint Metro League Coach of the Year for 2020- 2021 season.
A 1968 Ortonville graduate, Barns attended Olivet College and Oakland Community College. After college he worked for the State of Michigan as a park ranger and later for the Department of Corrections. He retired from the state in 2005 after 31 years. Barns later worked in maintenance at White Lake Township for 10 years..In 1980 Barns started at Goodrich High School as an assistant to JV Boys Basketball Coach John Joslin.
“When John moved up to varsity I went with him as his assistant,” he said. “When John became ill—I took over as varsity coach in 1991, our first win was over Montrose High School. We’ve had some amazing teams over the years including two undefeated teams.”Barns also coached the Goodrich JV Girls Basketball team from 1999-2006, taking the team to a remarkable 149-5 record. When the boys and girls basketball season changed to the winter season Barns stayed coaching the boys team.
“I still have the itch to coach,” he said. “I still get nervous, if you’re not you are not ready.”
The Martians finished the 1996-97 regular season without a loss, but were defeated by Hamady High School in regional action ending the season 21-1. The team was also perfect through the 1998-99 regular season, however they lost to Brown City in the regional finals. The season ended 24-1.The 1995-96 season was the first for Goodrich to make regional’s, where they lost to Elkton-Pigeon Bay Port. In 2012 the Martians made it to the state quarterfinals but lost to Detroit Country Day. In 2014 made the quarter finals but lost to Detroit Douglass.On Feb. 2, 2018, Barns reached the 400 win plateau of coaching the Goodrich Martian’s Boys Varsity basketball team with a 44-37 win over Corunna.
“I’ve been blessed with a wonderful family and with two of the best coaches to work with ever— David Pratt and Mitchel Rubio,” he said.
“Over the years assistant coaches Larry Shubert, James LeGrow, Wayne Wilson and Dave Barns provided the grunt work and laid the foundation of what we do now. They are not ‘yes’ people, rather provide guidance for our players. A good coach will plant a seed for what you do in the winter. Get those players thinking.”
After more than four decades of coaching Barns admits basketball has never been a job.
“I could not have done this without my family—supper is always late and they understand coaching is not just for three months,” he said