Eric Barnes serves as the Director of Goalkeeping for FC Pittsburgh and is the head coach of the U11B team. He currently holds an NSCAA National Diploma and an NSCAA Advanced National Goalkeeping Diploma.  Eric has been an assistant coach with the University of Pittsburgh men’s soccer team since January 2009. 
 
Barnes was recently named a member of the NSCAA National Goalkeeper Staff.  In this role with the largest coaching organization in the world, Barnes will travel to various locations throughout the U.S. to teach coaches how to properly train their goalkeepers. He is also a grade 7 USSF Referee as well as a member of the National Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association.  Barnes travels throughout the region officiating collegiate, adult and elite youth soccer matches.
 
Barnes played professionally for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL-2) during the 2009 season and for the Carolina Dynamo (PDL - USL Premier Development league) in 2007.  The Dynamo was the Southeast Division champions and advanced to the Conference Finals before falling to the eventual national champions, Laredo Heat.
 
As a collegiate player, Barnes spent two years playing for George Mason University while obtaining his bachelor’s degree and two years playing for the University of Pittsburgh while obtaining his J.D.  At Mason, Barnes was named the CAA rookie of the week in September 2005 and was the inaugural recipient of the Martin Dunphy Goalkeeper of the Year Award.  At Pitt, Barnes was named to the Big East weekly honor roll in September 2008 and was named a member of the University of Pittsburgh Scholar-Athlete All-Academic Team in both 2007 and 2008.
 
Originally from South Carolina, Barnes was a two-time South Carolina state champion with his youth soccer club, Carolina Elite Soccer Association, and a southeastern regional finalist in 2005.
 
Barnes began his coaching career in South Carolina in 2004 assisting with goalkeepers at various high schools.  Since 2004, Barnes has trained youth teams and goalkeepers in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
 
In addition to coaching and officiating soccer, Barnes is also licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.