Interim tag removed as Kelly Barsky named UCSB Athletic Director

UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - UC Santa Barbara made an historic hire today as Kelly Barsky becomes the first woman to ever be named Director of Athletics at UCSB.

"I am pleased to announce the appointment of Kelly Barsky as our next Director of Intercollegiate Athletics," Chancellor Yang said. "Kelly brings a wealth of experience as a coach, academic advisor, and athletics administrator, and I am confident that she will continue to be an exceptional leader for our campus and our athletics program. Since she assumed the interim role, our athletics programs have continued to thrive, our student-athletes are excelling in the classroom and in their respective sports, and our campus and community are energized about our future. We have all been impressed by her knowledge, her energy and enthusiasm, and her deep commitment to supporting our coaches and student-athletes in reaching their academic and athletics goals. Kelly is a trusted and proven leader for UC Santa Barbara, and I look forward to working with her as our next Director of Athletics."

"I am honored and excited to serve as the next Director of Athletics at UC Santa Barbara," Barsky said. "I would like to extend a very special thank you to Chancellor Yang and our campus leadership for this opportunity and to the incredible coaches, staff, student-athletes and community for their support. Aligned with our campus mission, I look forward to working collaboratively to provide exceptional experiences for student-athletes and our Gaucho community."

Barsky served as the Gauchos interim athletic director for all of 2022 after John McCutcheon retired.

In 2008 she was an assistant coach for the UCSB women's basketball team for several successful seasons before moving over to an academic adviser position for UCSB's College of Letters and Science.

Barsky went back to athletics to take a job in 2014 as the senior women's administrator under then Gauchos A.D. Mark Massari.