Staff Directory
- Title:
- Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach (Men's Basketball)
- Email:
- Phone:
- 205-348-3600
Henry Barrera joined the Alabama men’s basketball program in May of 2022 where he will begin his first season as the Tide’s strength and conditioning coach.
Barrera comes to Tuscaloosa after spending seven years with Liberty University, serving as the Flames’ men’s basketball director of performance from 2015-18 before being promoted to the director of strength and conditioning for Olympic sports for the final four years in Lynchburg, Va.
Hired by Liberty men’s basketball head coach Ritchie McKay in 2015, Barrera paid immediate dividends and became an integral part of the program’s unprecedented success across the next seven seasons. The Flames had a combined 166 victories (166-61) over that span, which averaged out to 23.7 wins per season, and a .731 winning percentage. Liberty was equally as good in the ASUN, winning three consecutive regular season and tournament championships (2019, 2020, 2021) and boasted a .722 conference winning percentage (83-32).
In all, the Flames made five postseason appearances, including three NCAA Tournament berths, and recorded six straight 20-plus win seasons. The run was highlighted by the 2019-20 campaign in which Liberty notched a school-record 30 victories (30-4) along with the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament win (def. Mississippi State Bulldogs 80-76 in 2019 tournament).
Barrera arrived at Liberty from the state of Oregon, where he was a performance training specialist at Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton. While at Nike he was instrumental in designing training content for multiple projects including Jordan Brand’s Terminal 23 in New York and The Hangar in Los Angeles. He continues to consultant with multiple training companies including Nike Basketball, the Jordan Brand, Nike N7, Shoot 360 and multiple others.
As a basketball player, Barrera began his college career at Yakima Valley Community College helping rebuild a dormant program and eventually becoming league co-champs in 1996-97. After two years at Yakima Valley, Henry moved onto Multnomah University where he was a three-time All-American and named the 2000 NCCAA Pete Maravich National Player of the Year after averaging nearly 20 points and eight assists per game his senior season.
After earning his bachelor’s degree, Barrera played one season of professional basketball in Sweden before beginning his coaching and performance training career. His first stop came at Concordia University, where he earned his master’s degree while also serving as the men’s basketball strength and conditioning coach for four years.
In addition, Barrera spent a decade serving in multiple capacities at the high school level. His tenure in prep athletics was highlighted by spending seven years at West Linn High School where he helped build the Lions into one of the top programs in the country, winning three straight Oregon state championships.
Barrera has built a strong reputation for his relentless pursuit to improve human performance, specifically for basketball players. His history as a player and integrated training philosophy allow him to impact the program in multiple ways.
Barrera has owned and operated Hoop Diaries, a basketball and performance training company since 2008, training athletes world-wide with the mission of learning, sharing, and growing.
Barrera most recently earned his second master’s degree, receiving a master’s in exercise science and human performance from Liberty University in 2022 to go along with his master’s in education from Concordia University in 2009. He earned his undergraduate degree from Multnomah University in Education in 2000.
Barrera will reside in Tuscaloosa along with his wife Melody, and four children, Maya, Marquez, Malia, and Moriah.
