Chris Barnhill

Biography

Dr. Chris Barnhill joined the Belmont faculty as an Associate Professor of Sport Administration in the Fall of 2023. He earned a PhD. in Sport Management from The Ohio State University, an M.B.A. from East Tennessee State University, and a B.S. in Education (Sport Management) with a minor in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Dr. Barnhill brings with him extensive experience in higher education and the sports industry. Prior to his appointment at Belmont, Dr. Barnhill was an Associate Professor of Sport Management at Georgia Southern University where he also served as coordinator of the undergraduate B.S. in sport management program. Before his time in Georgia, Dr. Barnhill was an Assistant Professor of Sport Management at Louisiana State University. Dr. Barnhill entered higher education with a desire to help and mentor students entering the sports industry. Before earning his PhD., Dr. Barnhill held positions with the Miami Marlins (Major League Baseball), East Tennessee State Athletics (NCAA), and Kansas State Athletics (NCAA), primarily in ticket sales and operations.

Dr. Barnhill’s research interests focus on issues related to organizational behavior in the sports industry. He has published more than 25 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters in highly respected journals such as the Journal of Sport Management, Sport Management Education Journal, Sport Marketing Quarterly, and Journal of Applied Sport Management. In 2021, Dr. Barnhill served as lead author of the book, Organizational Behavior in Sport Management: An Applied Approach to Understanding People and Groups. Dr. Barnhill’s most recent research explores the impact that empathy and radical empathy in sport management education and the sports industry.

Born and raised in Oakdale, California, Dr. Barnhill enjoys traveling, music, San Francisco Giants baseball, and spending time with his wife Amy, their children, Mary Grace, Graham, Annaliese, and Grayson, and their dog, Rosie.