Walter Barr - 2021 Sports Breakfast Hall of Fame

Walter Barr’s coaching career bridged five decades. Barr was a two-sport athlete at Shepherd University where he played football and baseball. He graduated from Shepherd College in 1962 with a Bachelor of Science and received his master’s degree from James Madison University in 1970.

Walter’s teaching experience spanned from 1962 to 1998. He taught at James Wood High School, Loudoun County High School, Broad Run High School, Sherando High School, and Lord Fairfax Community College.

Barr began his coaching career at James Wood High School where he was an assistant football coach and head track coach from 1962 to 1967. In 1967, Coach Barr became the head football coach at James Wood and coached until 1971 where he went on to be the head football coach at Shepherd University until 1986. In 1994, Barr became the first head coach of Sherando High School. In 1999, Barr was asked to conduct a football program feasibility study for Shenandoah University which later turned into a head football coaching position with the University. Coach Barr returned to James Wood High School in 2005 and turned around a program that had not had a winning record in 26 years. Coach Barr concluded his coaching career with 210 wins, 94 losses and 5 ties. 

Coach Barr has one of the most decorated football coaching records in the region.

1966-1971 James Wood High School (38-2-1)
2 undefeated teams
Virginia AAA State Champions 1970

1971-86 Shepherd University (104-48-4)
3 WVIAC Championships
NAIA National Play-offs 1985

1990-1991 Loudoun County High School (5-5)

1994-1997 Sherando High School (38-13)
State Play-Offs (3 years)

2000-2001 Shenandoah University (9-11)
Start-up program

2005-2007 James Wood High School (16-15)

Barr has been induced into the NAIA Hall of Fame, Shepherd College Hall of Fame, Clarke County Athletic Hall of Fame,James Wood Athletic Hall of Fame and will soon be inducted into the Shenandoah University Hall of Fame in 2022 (postponed due to COVID.)Walter Barr is a 3-time WVIAC Coach of the Year and 4-time Winchester Star Coach of the Year. In 2016 he received the Richard C. Shickle Award and in 2019 was bestowed the honor of having the James Wood High School Football Field named after him.
Coach Barr has been published in The American Football Coaches Guidebook to Championship Football Drills by Jerry R. Tolley 1984 and hosted many football coaches’ clinics while he was at Shepherd University and Shenandoah University.