SALEM, W.Va. (May 31) – Salem International University has named Michael Bari its new head women's basketball coach announced Athletic Director Jamie Shoemaker on Tuesday afternoon.
 
Bari takes over the Tiger women's basketball program after a two-year stint as the head coach at nearby West Virginia Wesleyan in Buckhannon, West Virginia. Bari inherited a two-win team and improved the Bobcats win total in each of his two seasons, including seven wins during the 2015-16 campaign.
 
"I'm excited to see the program rebound back to respectability under Coach Bari's guidance," Shoemaker said. "His experience will help our athletes on and off the court and I'm eager to see the student-athletes grow into their potential."   

"It's a privilege to be named the new coach at Salem International," Bari said. "I want to thank President Dan Nelant, Jamie Shoemaker and the members of the search committee for this opportunity. It is something that I am extremely excited about and really looking forward to."
 
Prior to West Virginia Wesleyan, Bari had an impressive nine-year run as the head women's basketball coach at Louisiana State University-Eunice from 2004-13. His teams finished with a 154-113 record and reached the NJCAA District Finals six times, including an appearance in the NJCAA Final Four in 2007.
 
LSU-Eunice also excelled in the classroom under Bari. They were honored four times as NJCCA National Academic All-America teams, with three National Academic All-Americans under his watch.
 
Bari has also coached at Penn State-Behrend, Alderson Broaddus, Gannon and Colorado Northwestern Community College, after starting his coaching career as a men's basketball graduate assistant at East Stroudsburg in 1984.
 
He earned his bachelor's degree in health and physical education, with a minor in psychology, from West Virginia Wesleyan and his master's degree in health and physical education from East Stroudsburg.
 
A native of Erie, Pennsylvania, Bari and his wife Kelle reside in Buckhannon.