Coach Patrick Barton

For forensics coach Patrick Barton, Ohio University is not only an opportunity to earn a doctorate in communication but also to learn from the expertise of head coach Dan West. As far as the rest of the season is concerned, Barton has high hopes that the team will place in the top five at the national tournament and he’s looking for as many students to qualify in the top 24 as possible.

Ohio University is the third college that Barton will earn a degree from and says that Athens is a nice little town with a good atmosphere. Although he likes OU, he says George Mason was his favorite college he has attended because of its cultural diversity and its location outside of Washington D.C. When asked about the Ohio University vs. George Mason basketball game, he said “I was rooting for George Mason, so I was a little sad when they lost, but now both teams have a chance of making it into the NCAA tournament”.

Aside from speech and debate, Patrick loves movies, Italian food, and alternative rock bands like Death Cab for Cutie and Snow Patrol, but poker is the pastime that he favors most. And it’s not your typical $5 buy-in with your buddies once a week, Barton has played in the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. Other than playing in the super bowl of poker, he stays on his toes with local VFW tournaments and online poker games.

“If I could do anything I would be a professional poker player,” said Patrick.

But there’s no need to worry, Coach Barton sees himself teaching at a four-year university and coaching a speech and debate team after he receives his PhD.