Barnwell Named to Silver Waves Media 100 & 2026 Roots 66 List

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Second-year University of Iowa men’s basketball assistant coach Luke Barnwell has been named to the 2026 Silver Waves Media 100 Most Impactful/Influential High Major Assistant Coaches List and the 2026 Roots 66 List ahead of the 2026-27 season.

The Silver Waves Media list is the most prestigious in college basketball as it features some of the most outstanding and impactful assistants in Division I men’s basketball.  More than 50 coaches recognized have gone on to become head coaches over the past seven years.

The 2026 ROOTS 66 list is an exclusive annual recognition honoring 66 individuals whose leadership, influence and impact are shaping the future of college basketball. ROOTS is a national basketball organization dedicated to connecting and elevating coaches, administrators, scouts, agents, and other influential leaders across the industry.

During his first season in Iowa City, Barnwell helped lead Iowa to the program’s first Elite Eight appearance in 39 years and the first Sweet 16 since 1999.  The ninth-seeded Hawkeyes downed three higher seeded teams -- No. 8 Clemson, No. 1 Florida and No. 4 Nebraska. Iowa led its South Region title game with seven minutes remaining with a Final Four spot on the line.

The Hawkeyes finished the 2025-26 season with a 24-13 overall record with the 24 victories being tied for the fifth-most in a single season in program history.  The team finished the season ranked 15th in the final Associated Press rankings.  

Barnwell made the move back to the Midwest following a two-year stint in Lubbock, where he helped lead the Red Raiders to a 51-20 record and two trips to the NCAA Tournament.  Texas Tech advanced to the Elite Eight in his second season, finishing the year with a 28-9 overall record along with a 15-5 mark in Big 12 play.

The Red Raiders were in the Associated Press Top 10 for the final five weeks of the season and finished the year with the third-most wins in program history.

Barnwell joined the collegiate ranks after spending his final eight seasons leading the Sunrise Christian Elite team where he compiled a 178-28 record competing against the elite basketball programs across the country.  He led SCA to five consecutive GEICO Nationals and coached more than 75 NCAA Division I players and worked with six NBA players.

A native of Emporia, Kansas, Barnwell played college basketball at Newman University and Emporia State before beginning his coaching career as a student assistant.