Joanne Renn-Barnes served the University as a coach and administrator for 25 years
University News | September 22, 2026
.jpg "Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Emeritus Joanne Renn- Barnes")
Joanne Renn-Barnes, a longtime coach, administrator, and transformational leader for the Marlins, has been selected for induction into the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame as a member of its Class of 2026.
Renn joins former Old Dominion University quarterback and longtime NFL quarterback Taylor Heinicke, Princess Anne High School girls basketball coach Darnell Dozier, accomplished tennis player and coach Roy Beskin, and East Coast surfing pioneer Pete Smith in the 2026 induction class.
The class will be formally inducted on Wednesday, November 18, at the Big Blue Room inside Chartway Arena in Norfolk. Doors will open at 6 p.m., followed by dinner and the induction program at 7 p.m. Renn's selection recognizes a career that has left a lasting impact on collegiate athletics throughout Hampton Roads and, in particular, on Batten University and the Marlins.
Renn spent 25 years serving the University as a coach and administrator, including 11 years leading the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. She was appointed Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics in 2007, becoming the first female athletic director at a coeducational institution in the history of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.
During her tenure leading Marlins Athletics, the department experienced one of the most successful periods in its history. The men's basketball program captured the 2006 NCAA Division III National Championship and returned to the national championship game in 2007, while women's soccer advanced to the NCAA Final Four in 2006. Men's golfer Evan Cox captured an individual NCAA National Championship in 2016, and softball won back-to-back NCAA Division III National Championships in 2017 and 2018.
Renn's influence extended well beyond competition. She played a significant role in the expansion and improvement of the University's athletic facilities, including Birdsong Field, the Betty S. Rogers Track and Field Center, the development of the outdoor athletic complex, improvements to Kenneth R. Perry Field, and the development of TowneBank Park. She was also instrumental in the addition of men's and women's swimming to the University's intercollegiate athletic offerings.
Before moving into athletic administration, Renn made her mark on the sidelines. She joined the Marlins as head women's tennis coach in 1995 and led the program through 1999. She later served as head women's basketball coach from 1997 through 2003. Prior to joining Virginia Wesleyan University, Renn served as a teacher and coach at Norfolk Academy. Her girls basketball teams compiled a 250-128 record while winning two conference championships and two tournament titles. On the tennis court, Renn guided Norfolk Academy to a 107-10 dual-match record and seven consecutive Tidewater Conference of Independent Schools championships.
Her influence also reached beyond campus. Renn served in numerous leadership positions at the conference, state and national levels, including as president of the ODAC Athletic Directors Council. She also served with the NCAA, the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors, Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame Committee, Virginia Beach Sports Grant Committee, and Hampton Roads Sports Facility Authority.
Following her retirement in 2018, the University honored Renn's decades of service by naming the grassy plains and pond area within the outdoor athletic complex "Renn Reserve and Pond." She was also recognized as Athletics Director Emeritus.
Renn's retirement from collegiate athletics did not prove permanent. She returned to the University in the summer of 2020 to once again lead the department as Executive Director of Athletics on an interim basis.
A trailblazer throughout her career, Renn was also one of six original female athletic scholarship recipients at Old Dominion University following the passage of Title IX, competing in both basketball and tennis for the Monarchs. She earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from ODU and later received a master's degree in human resource management from Troy University.
Renn's contributions to the Marlins were previously recognized with a Career Achievement Award in 2019 before she was inducted into the Marlins Athletic Hall of Fame in 2021 as a coach and administrator.
Her induction into the Hampton Roads Sports Hall of Fame adds another distinction to a career defined by leadership, service, and a lasting impact on generations of student-athletes, coaches, and administrators throughout the region.
Adapted from Batten University Athletics website