Union City, New Jersey
Union City is a city in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. According to the 2020 United States Census the city had a total population of 68,589,basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
coach and Assistant Commissioner of the
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...
Worcester, MA
Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 census, making it the second-most populous city in New England after Bo ...
where he was a two-time All-America basketball player for the Greyhounds.
He was a territorial draft selection of the
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
(NBA) and also had a baseball try-out with the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...
. He played five years in the Eastern Basketball Pro League.
He returned to Assumption as an assistant basketball coach in the fall of 1966 and as head soccer coach.
Barakat became the sixth men's college basketball coach of the
Fairfield University
Fairfield University is a private Jesuit university in Fairfield, Connecticut. It was founded by the Jesuits in 1942. In 2017, the university had about 4,100 full-time undergraduate students and 1,100 graduate students, including full-time ...
Stags in 1970 and is the all-time most successful coach in the school's history (160–128). He led the Stags to three
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitational Tournament (NIT) is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Played at regional sites and traditionally at Madison Square Garden (Final Four) in New York City ...
appearances (1973, 74, 78) including the programs' first post-season berth as a Division I program in 1973. An 80–76 win over Marshall was the program's first
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitational Tournament (NIT) is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Played at regional sites and traditionally at Madison Square Garden (Final Four) in New York City ...
victory. He also led the team to three E.C.A.C. regionals in 1977, 78 and 80. The Stags 22–5 mark in 1977–78 was a then-school record.
He joined the staff of the
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...
in 1981 as Assistant Commissioner and in 2000 received the additional title of Director of Men's Basketball Operations.
He was inducted into the Assumption College Alumni Association Athletic Hall of Fame in 1975 and the Fairfield Hall of Fame in 1990. A native of
Union City, NJ
Union City is a city in the northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. According to the 2020 United States Census the city had a total population of 68,589,Nancy, Christie, Amy, and Rick. Barakat died in Greensboro of a heart attack on June 21, 2010 at the age of 71. His daughter Nancy is currently the Mayor of Greensboro.
For all of his contributions to basketball and the
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...
, Barakat was inducted into the Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.