Barnes Hired As Georgia State Coach

Monday, March 19th 2007, 1:44 pm

By: News On 6

ATLANTA (AP) _ Former Mississippi coach Rod Barnes was hired Monday as the basketball coach at Georgia State, which fired Michael Perry after the team was eliminated from the Colonial Athletic Association tournament.

Athletic director Mary McElroy said Barnes brings the ``discipline, attitudes and work habits'' to win at Georgia State.

The 41-year-old Barnes was an assistant at Oklahoma this season. He was the 2001 Naismith national coach of the year after leading Mississippi to a school-record 27 wins and the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament.

But after earning NCAA bids in three of his first four years at the school, Barnes was fired in 2006 following four straight losing seasons. Barnes was 141-109 in eight years at Mississippi, his alma mater.

``His reputation for academics and graduation for the student-athletics also shows he understands what the college experience is about,'' McElroy said. ``He has been successful as both a player and a coach and our student-athletes should benefit from his knowledge and experience.''

Perry was fired March 4. In four years, his teams went 62-75, including an 11-20 mark this season.