Gonzaga opportunity was 'too good to pass up' for R-Jay Barsh

Barsh said he had no intention of leaving Florida State - but a phone call with Mark Few changed that

At 40, R-Jay Barsh has enjoyed an all-access ride in the college basketball coaching world - at all levels.

Except for one prominent stop.

He’s never seen a Gonzaga University basketball game live in “The Kennel.”

But he will very soon.

In April, Barsh was hired as the newest Zags’ assistant men’s coach under longtime coach Mark Few, replacing Roger Powell Jr., who left after four seasons to take the head job at Valparaiso.

Barsh spent the past season at Florida State University on Leonard Hamilton’s staff. Before that, he was an assistant for Leon Rice for three seasons at Boise State University.

Leonard Hamilton and R-Jay Barsh / Photo courtesy of Florida State University Athletics

“There’s nobody on this earth that would say Barsh was handed this position,” Barsh said. “It’s because I have been loud with my story - all the failures and successes.”

Besides being a bright basketball tactician, Barsh has mastered one of the most vital off-the-court skills for coaches - people networking.

A Puyallup product, Barsh coached at various levels in his hometown - in the high school ranks (Lincoln of Tacoma), at the community college level (Tacoma CC) and in the NCAA Division III world (Puget Sound).

Then Barsh made an important pivot in 2012, accepting the head-coaching job at Southeastern University, an NAIA Division II program in Lakeland, Florida where he led the Fire to three national tournament appearances.

“I know when I show up to a place, the joy comes up - and the culture improves,” Barsh said. “That is who I am naturally. I was a small college coach, JUCO coach - and a community guy. You learn to fill the voids around a program, even if that is not your job.”

Rice brought Barsh back to the Northwest at Boise State in 2019 - and then Barsh was back to Florida last season at FSU with Hamilton.

He said he had no intention of leaving FSU after one season, but added Few called him on the way home one day to talk about the Gonzaga opening.

In fact, Barsh said he consulted with Hamilton about the opportunity - and the longtime Seminoles’ coach encouraged him to take a hard look at it.

“I wasn’t looking to leave, but Coach Hamilton said when the top school in your home region wants you … that is too good to pass up,” Barsh said.

Barsh had already been hitting the recruiting trail hard - and won’t start his extended stay on campus until later this month.

And the next time he is in the heat of game action, Barsh will be seated in the same row of chairs with Few and fellow assistant coaches Brian Michaelson and Stephen Gentry.

“You look back over your life and ask, ‘How did this happen?’” Barsh said. “Then you see the work you’ve done and know how it happened. Man, it’s something God did.”

Photo courtesy of Florida State University Athletics