WALESKA, Ga.— The Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) announced its 2024-25 Coach of Character award winner Tuesday morning, and a Montreat College head coach proved to be the league's honoree for the third consecutive year. According to a release from the conference office, Anthony Barringer garnered the AAC Coach of Character recognition.
 
"What an honor it is to receive this award," Barringer said. "A special thanks to the voting committee who felt I was worthy of this recognition. Although I am the recipient of this award, this is a Montreat College Men's Basketball program award in my eyes. We all play a part, and my staff and our players are just as important in putting our culture on display as I am, and I'm incredibly grateful to lead this program."
 
On the court, Barringer led the Cavaliers through a season unlike any other. After Hurricane Helene rendered McAlister Gymnasium completely unserviceable for more than four months, Barringer jumped into action, leading the charge to find places for the Cavs to practice and play home games. Without Barringer's efforts, Montreat's 2024-25 men's and women's basketball seasons would've looked drastically different.
 
Despite the hurdles, Barringer's squad collected a 19-11 (12-8 AAC) record en route to the AAC semifinals. Barringer also picked up his 100^th win as a collegiate head coach during the 2024-25 campaign.
 
Away from the court, Barringer's impact was even more important. In addition to finding places to practice and play, Barringer helped cultivate a culture of prayer warriors. The Cavaliers made prayer a part of each meeting, practice and game. When one of his student-athletes suffered a family emergency, both Barringer and the men's basketball team were equipped to pray for and support someone in need.
 
Barringer also helped build a culture of service. The Montreat men's basketball team participated in a pair of organized service projects in 2024-25, hosting a play day for Montreat Morning School and picking blueberries at a local farm. Meanwhile, Barringer's team also went to work in the classroom, securing three Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athlete nods and six AAC All-Academic Team selections.
 
"In a world that is so 'me' centered, the profession of coaching is called to be 'others' centered," Barringer shared. "Our staff is extremely intentional in the way we seek to serve the young men in our program, as well as anyone else we encounter daily. The five core values of the NAIA align with the pillars of our culture. These core values that our staff put on display and poured into our student-athletes were a vital piece of our success this season."
 
For a look at the official 2024-25 AAC Coach of Character release, click here.
 
As the AAC Coach of Character, Barringer will now serve as the league's nominee for the NAIA Coach of Character award. The national winner will be announced later this fall.