R-Jay Barsh begins his seventh season with the Fire men’s basketball team in 2018-19.

In his second season, Barsh made a splash, going 27-7, and guiding the team to their first NAIA Division II National Tournament appearance. The Fire started their tournament run with an 84-76 win over #16 Huntington.

In the Round of 16, the Fire trailed #1 and defending champion Cardinal Stritch 70-68 with seven seconds remaining. Senior Dwayne Johnson raced the length of the floor and buried a 3-pointer from the left wing at the buzzer to give the Fire a 71-70 win and a trip to the Elite Eight. Southeastern earned a trip to the Fab Four after a 67-64 win over #9 Davenport, before bowing out to eventual national champion Indiana Wesleyan.

The Fire also recorded wins against #21 Oregon Tech, #7 Northwood, #12 St. Thomas, and #6 Embry-Riddle.

The squad was named the Polk County Male Collegiate Team of the Year by Polk County Sports Marketing, and Barsh was a finalist for the Don Meyer Coach of the Year Award.

During the 2014-15 season, the Fire went 18-12 and advanced to The Sun Conference Championship game, falling to #2 Embry-Riddle in overtime. The Fire finished 18th in NAIA Division II in field goal shooting at 48%, and were 33rd in points per game at 79.3.

In 2017-18, Barsh guided the Fire back to the National Tournament for the first time since 2013-14 with a 21-10 campaign. The Fire punched their ticket to the dance with a thrilling 87-80 overtime win over Keiser in the Sun Conference Tournament title game. This marked the first TSC Tournament Championship in program history. SEU bowed out in the Opening Round with a 68-57 loss to Warner Pacific.

He previously served as the head assistant coach for Tacoma Community College from 2008–12.  While at Tacoma, he was considered one of the top recruiters on the West Coast and was even featured in The Bleacher Report for being a main catalyst for the Titans recruiting and developmental success.

In 2009, Barsh and the Titans made the Elite 8 in the NWAACC Tournament and followed up that accomplishment with a perfect 16–0 record in the Western Region the following year. As the head assistant under Head Coach Carl Howell, the duo averaged 25 wins per season with three Western Region titles the past four years.

Also, as the primary recruiter for the program, Barsh pulled in some of the top junior college players in the country, including Mark McLaughlin, who led all community college players in scoring in 2011–12, averaging 28.4 points per game.

Prior to his tenure at TCC, he spent one season at Lincoln High School in Tacoma, where he helped guide the school to the state’s Final Four and a 26–5 record.

From 2005–2007, Barsh was an assistant coach at the University of Puget Sound. In his first season with the Loggers, the program finished with a 26–5 mark and a NCAA D-III Elite Eight appearance. He also graduated from the school in 2007 with a degree in communication and public rhetoric.

Before he began his coaching career, he enjoyed a successful playing career at Tacoma Community College from 2001–2003. In his first season, he led the Titans to a NWAACC title and a 30–3 overall record. In 2003, Barsh was named Second Team All-Conference and found himself in a unique position, having won NWAACC titles as both a player (2002) and a coach (2012).

Off of the hardwood, Barsh has always felt the call of God on his life and has used basketball as the vehicle to deliver the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For over the past 10 years, he has been an integral part of Northwest Basketball Camps (NBC), which is a Christ-centered camp that utilizes basketball to impact the hearts and minds of young people through Jesus Christ. Through NBC, Barsh has led several camps around the world, including in Italy, the United Kingdom, and Alaska. This summer, he plans to lead a camp in Maui, with several NBA stars scheduled to be in attendance.

He is also the founder of SkyMotivation, which is a ministry he uses to help young people grow in Christ. His website for the ministry has testimonies, devotionals, and even an area where viewers can ask questions about their faith.

Barsh and his wife, Christy, currently reside in Lakeland and have a son named Carson.