If people were asked to pick who was the most influential person in SSU Athletics history was, many answers would come back "Ralph Barkey." When Barkey took over the program in 1981, SSU had fifteen sports, five coaches and a $6,000 budget. When he left, SSU had a national championship (women's soccer in 1990), numerous conference championships and a reputation as a force to reckon with in Division II athletics.
Though Barkey is quick to point out all that helped him build the SSU program from the ground up, most familiar with the situation know that none of it could have been possible with out his tenacity and hard work.
