Tyler Barnes is in his third season at Vanderbilt and second as director of player personnel. In 2013, Barnes served as co-recruiting coordinator for the Commodores. 

A native of Decatur, Ill., and graduate of MacArthur H.S., Barnes spent more than four years with the Iowa program as a student assistant, graduate assistant and administrative assistant. The Hawkeyes have been one of the Big Ten’s elite programs in the two decades.

Since January 2012, Barnes has served in an administrative assistant’s role at Iowa, focusing on football recruiting and operations. Barnes started with the Iowa program in 2009, and became the Hawkeye student assistant the following year, helping Iowa coaches in various ways, including compiling statistical and recruiting information, and operating on-campus football clinics and camps. He became an Iowa graduate assistant in 2011, serving in that role until being promoted in 2012.

During Barnes’ tenure at Iowa, the Hawkeyes captured the 2010 BCS Orange Bowl over Georgia Tech, beat Missouri in the 2010 Insight Bowl, and made a return engagement to the 2011 Insight Bowl.

The Hawkeyes have produced 19 NFL draft picks since Barnes joined the staff, the highest total of any Big Ten school. The recent list of Hawkeye draftees includes three first-round selections: offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga in 2010, defensive end Adrian Clayborn in 2011, and offensive tackle Riley Reiff, 2012.

Barnes earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa in 2009 with a double major in Finance and Sports Studies. In 2011, he earned a master’s from Iowa in Recreation and Sports Management.

Barnes is married to the former Joanne Ferentz.