Clayton Barnes arrived in at VMI as the Associate Athletic Director of External Engagement & Innovation in October of 2026.
Barnes joins the VMI senior leadership team, bringing extensive experience in collegiate athletics marketing, fan engagement, revenue generation, and external operations. In this role, he will oversee the department external engagement efforts including marketing, corporate partnerships, ticketing, athletic branding, multimedia and communications.
Prior to VMI, Barnes served as the Director of Fan Engagement at Western Michigan University. While at WMU, Clayton oversaw all marketing and fan engagement initiatives to multiple D1 sports, driving revenue, developing promotional campaigns, and utilizing digital platforms to strengthen the online brand of the Broncos. In January of 2026, he was selected to the
NACMA Mid-Level Cohort, designed for emerging leaders and revenue generators within college athletics.
Before his time at WMU, he spent three years in DeLand, Florida as the Director of Marketing, Promotions, and Corporate Fulfillment at Stetson University. In that role, he was the primary marketing contact for 19 D1 programs, overseeing all marketing and digital content strategies, corporate sponsorship fulfillment, and led all game presentation efforts for the department.
Before arriving in DeLand, Clayton worked within the Marketing Department at his Alma Mater, Florida State University, while he was working towards his Master's in Sport Management. During that time, he also worked with the Biletnikoff Award and Student Academic Services within the FSU athletic department.
The Tallahassee native received his Bachelor's degree in Anthropology from FSU. Clayton resides in Buena Vista, Virginia, with his Fiancé, Bentley, and their Schnauzer, Franklin.
