Craig Barnett
– EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Possessing an extensive playing, coaching and administrative background, Craig Barnett was named Executive Director of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) in 2018.
Barnett played college hockey at Plattsburgh State (NY) University from 1985-89 where he was part of the 1987 NCAA championship team as a goaltender and years later was selected to the schools’ all-decade team. After his stellar college career, Barnett played professionally as a member of the New York Rangers organization for two years with stints in Flint (IHL), Binghamton (AHL) and Erie (ECHL) prior to entering the coaching ranks.
Barnett’s 15-year coaching career includes assistant coaching positions at the NCAA I and II levels with Mercyhurst College (PA) and Kent State University (OH) and as a Head Coach at the NCAA I and III levels with the University of Findlay (OH) and Becker College (MA).
Barnett’s athletic administration career began in 2003 as Assistant Athletic Director and Director of Hockey at Lake Forest Academy, a prestigious prep school in Illinois. A year and a half later, Barnett re-entered college athletics when he was hired as Director of Athletics at NCAA III Becker College in Worcester, Massachusetts before returning back to Erie, Pennsylvania to serve in the same role as Director of Athletics at Mercyhurst College.
In the fall of 2011, Barnett was named Commissioner of the American Lacrosse Conference, a NCAA I conference which included 4 Big Ten schools, 2 SEC schools and Johns Hopkins before the league was absorbed by the Big Ten in 2015. Six months later, the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association, a NCAA I/II conference hired Craig as Commissioner and he served in that role until he accepted the Executive Director position with the ACHA in September 2018.
Barnett also continues to serve as the NCAA Director of Compliance and Education for the North American Hockey League (NAHL), a position he has held since 2012, and currently resides in Erie, PA with his wife Andrea and their three children, Olivia, Braeden and Jace.
