Mark Barrett grew up in Frankfort, Kentucky surrounded by a family atmosphere steeped in football tradition. The love of the game was instilled in Mark by both his father and grandfather who played collegiately for Georgetown College and Marshall University, respectively.
A graduate of Western Hills High School in Frankfort, Barrett still holds the records for most tackles in a game, season and career. He was selected All-Franklin County Team honors three years on defense and offense, All-County Team MVP honors as a senior and All-State Honorable Mention honors as a senior.
He would take his impressive resume’ to Tennessee Military Institute in Sweetwater as a college freshman on a football scholarship.
After one year, he was recruited by many schools as he states, “I chose Cumberland College because it was the right fit for my style of play and for the philosophy of the coaching staff, which proved to be second to none. It was the right choice.” After starting his career at TMI as a strong safety, he would find his true calling as a force to be reckoned with at the linebacker position. He brought the intensity of the military institute to Cumberland along with a wealth of talent.
On a talent rich offensive and defensive team his freshman year under Coach Tom Dowling, Barrett recalls, “The day before the first game, Coach Black asked if I could play inside linebacker. I told him, ‘Yes, but I don’t know any of the calls.’ Black said, ‘We’ll get to that, but Saturday line up on Johnson’s (Marcellous) side and get to the ball.’”
Barrett majored in business and minored in health while attending Cumberland College from 1988 to 1991 in the classroom, but on the gridiron, number 58 earned the respect of his coaches, teammates and his opponents by excelling in all areas of defense and special teams.
His career at Cumberland consisted of playing in all 40 games with a team record of 28-11-1. On defense, Barrett played linebacker while contributing on special teams with punts, punt return, kickoff and field goal blocking.
Recognitions include being named NAIA All American (four years), All Mid-South Conference Defensive Team (four years), Best Linebacker Team Selection (voted by teammates all four years) and twice named to the Don Hansen NAIA Defensive Player of the Week.
Perhaps most impressive of all, he still holds the Cumberland record for tackles in a game by amassing 26 tackles against Bluffton College on 11/19/89. Two decades after setting the mark, Barrett also holds the record for career tackles at 381. It is a testament to Barrett that he would receive such outstanding recognitions among a team so athletically talented. Several teammates were voted NAIA All American honors.
After the completion of the 1991 season at Cumberland, he received an invitation to a professional football combine in Louisville, later to return home where he began a career of coaching local football teams in 1994. He coached one year at Frankfort High School and two years each at local middle schools. Since 1997, Barrett has been assistant head football coach at his alma mater, Western Hills.
In 2007, Barrett completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education with a minor in Sports Management from Kentucky State University.
Barrett resides in Frankfort with wife, Michele, and daughters, Kennedy and Addison, where
