Kieran Barton enters his fifth season as an assistant coach on the Gonzaga University women's soccer staff bringing with him more than 13 years of playing experience at the collegiate and professional levels.

In 2002, Barton finished his seventh season with the Seattle Sounders of the USISL A-League. He played more than 2,387 minutes in 26 games, scoring one goal and collecting two assists. He continues to play for the Spokane Shadow of the USL. In the spring of 2005 Barton was named the coach of the Spokane Shadow after working the 2004 season as an assistant coach. He also served as the coach fo the Shadow U-18 girls team which won the 2004 US Club Soccer National Championship in Long Island, New York.

No stranger to the Spokane area, Barton played collegiate soccer for current Gonzaga men's head coach Einar Thorarinsson at Whitworth College from 1989-93. He earned All-Northwest Collegiate Soccer Conference and NAIA All-America accolades while a member of the Pirates soccer team. The defender also played for the Spokane Shadow from 1996-98 before joining the Sounders.

A 1989 graduate of Mount Si High in Snoqualmie, Wash., he is the son of former Sounders player (1979-84) and assistant coach (1994-96) Frank Barton.

Upon hiring Barton current head coach Shannon Stiles stated, "He's a professional player who has insight into the next level. I'm impressed with his discipline, gamesmanship and knowledge of the game. He's an all-around soccer guy who grew up with the sport because of his father. I think he'll be a great addition to our staff."

Barton earned a B.S. in biology from Whitworth in 1993. He currently holds his National A & B Coaching license from US Soccer.

Barton and his wife Christina welcomed their first son, Nickolas on May 14, 2005.