Josie Earnest Barnes, regarded as one of the top professional bowlers in the world, is in her 16th season with the Vanderbilt bowling program. She was promoted from assistant to associate head coach in 2019.
A nine-time member of Team USA, she competed at the 2017 World Championships and was selected to Junior Team USA on five occasions. Barnes is consistently among the leaders on the Women’s Professional Bowler’s Tour, having won the 2021 U.S. Women’s Open, 2018 East Hartford Open and 2016 Rochester Open. During summer 2025, Barnes won both the USBC Queens and PWBA Anniversary Open.
In 2013, she was inducted into the Vanderbilt Athletics Hall of Fame, becoming the first member of the bowling program to be elected.
As a student-athlete, Barnes was twice selected as NCAA Player of the Year and earned All-America honors four times. She was the first collegiate bowler to be selected as play or the year twice, and her 214.9 average during her senior campaign led the nation by nearly 14 pins. That year, she was the runner-up at the United States Amateur Championship (Junior Gold) and was selected as the program’s first team captain. Barnes was recognized as Tennessee’s Co-Amateur Athlete of the Year in 2008 and was voted MVP of the NCAA Tournament. For three years, she held Vanderbilt’s highest scoring average.
Born June 28, 1988, Barnes won two conference tennis singles titles and qualified for the 2005 state tournament. In high school, she was a member of the National Honor Society, Who’s Who Among American High School Students, student council and the National Honor Roll. She was presented with the Alberta E. Crowe Star of Tomorrow Award and the Illinois Star of Tomorrow Award in 2006.
She and her husband, Kyle, reside in Nashville with their daughter, Lisa Ruth.
The Barnes File
As a Coach
• Two NCAA titles (2018, ’23)
• Two NCAA Regional titles (2022, ’23)
• Four Southland Bowling League titles (2015, ’17, ’21, ’22)
• Two NTCA Players of the Year
• Four NTCA Rookies of the Year
• 11 first-team All-America selections
• 47 total All-America selections
As a Pro
• 2025 USBC Queens champion
• 2021 U.S. Open champion
• 2025 PWBA Anniversary Open champion
• 2019 Nationwide Cleveland Open champion
• 2018 East Hartford Open champion
• 2016 Rochester Open champion
• Nine-time member of Team USA, five-time member of Junior Team USA
• Won four gold, one silver and two bronze medals as an adult
• Runner-up at the 2008 U.S. Amateur Championship
• Finished 11th in 2013 and won the U.S. Women’s Open in 2021
• Won the 2018 East Hartford Open
• Won the 2016 Rochester Open
• Finished fifth in 2012 and ninth in 2013 at the USBC Queens
As a Vanderbilt student-athlete
• Two-time NCAA Player of the Year
• Four time All-American
• Vanderbilt Athletics Hall of Fame inductee (2013)
• 2008 Tennessee Co-Amateur Athlete of the Year
• MVP of 2008 NCAA Tournament
• Led Vanderbilt’s scoring average for three years
As a Junior
• Won 26 gold, seven silver and four bronze medals between Junior and Adult Team USA
• Won gold in singles, trios, team and all-events and silver in doubles at the PABCON Youth International Tournament in El Salvador
• Won two gold, three silver and one bronze medal with Junior Team USA at the 2008 Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas in Orlando, Florida
• Won three gold and one bronze at the 2007 Warm Up to World Youth in Orlando
• Won the 2006 North Point Insurance High School Open Singles
• Won five gold medals with Junior Team USA at the 2005 International Youth Friendship Tournament in the Dominican Republic, capturing the singles, doubles, team, all-events and masters titles.
• Won three gold medals and one silver at the 2005 Lee Evans Tournament of the Americas in Fort Lauderdale.
• Won the 2005 Illinois State doubles title with younger sister Jessica
• Won four Pepsi Cola State Championships
• Won the 2004 Junior Masters Tournament in Dayton, Ohio
• Won the 2003 and 2004 Illinois State Amateur Championships
• 12-time Illinois Scholarship Bowling Club champion
• Recorded four top 12 finishes at the Junior Gold Tournament
• Recorded six sanctioned 300 games, one with “sport shot” conditions, high series of 787 and over 70 700 series.