Lexington, Virginia – VMI Athletics and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, Jamaal Walton '07 have announced the hiring of Clayton Barnes as VMI's new Associate Athletic Director of External Engagement & Innovation.  

Barnes joins the VMI senior leadership team, bringing extensive experience in collegiate athletics marketing, fan engagement, revenue generation, and external operations. In this role, Barnes will oversee the department's external engagement efforts including marketing, corporate partnerships, ticketing, athletic branding, multimedia, and communications.  

""I'm thrilled to welcome Clayton Barnes to the Keydet Athletics family. I was impressed with Clayton's vision for VMI Athletics with his strategic thinking and understanding of where college athletics is headed." Jamaal Walton '07 expressed.  "He will be a great addition to our senior leadership team, our athletics department, to VMI and we look forward to the positive impact Clayton will bring to VMI Athletics." 

Barnes arrives at VMI following a tenure at Western Michigan University, where he served as the Director of Fan Engagement. While at WMU, Clayton oversaw all marketing and fan engagement initiatives for multiple athletic programs, developing promotional campaigns, driving revenue, and utilizing digital platforms to strengthen the online brand of the Broncos. In January, he was named to the 2026 NACMA Mid-Level Cohort, designed for emerging leaders and revenue generators within collegiate athletics.  

Prior to his time at WMU, Barnes spent three years as the Director of Marketing at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. In that role, he was the primary marketing contact for 19 D1 sports, overseeing marketing and digital content strategies, corporate sponsorship fulfillment, and all game day efforts for the athletic department.  

"I am incredibly grateful for Jamaal Walton and the leadership team at VMI," said Barnes. "VMI and Lexington are special places. The opportunity to work alongside such a dedicated group of people while serving our Corps community is not something I take lightly. I am excited to help tell the story of VMI Athletics and create meaningful experiences and engagement that our Cadet-Athletes, alumni, and fans can be proud of." 

Before arriving in DeLand, Clayton worked within the marketing department at Florida State University while receiving his master's degree in Sport Management. During that time, he also worked at the Biletnikoff Award and with Student Academic Services in the Athletic Department. The Tallahassee native received his bachelor's degree in Anthropology from FSU as well.