Long Island University

Jimmy Barbarise was named the first head coach in LIU women's flag football history on July 9, 2025.

A Centereach, New York native, Barbarise joined LIU after three successful seasons as the head coach at the University of Tampa, where he led the Spartans to a 28-10 overall record and a No. 3 national ranking this past season. 

Prior to coaching at the collegiate level, Babarise coached high school flag football in Florida, leading the program at Classical Preparatory School for five seasons and Sunlake High School for one season. At Classical Prep, Barbarise’s team claimed the Florida Christian Athletic Private Parochial Schools state championship in 2021. At Sunlake, his team posted a 12-4 mark in the program’s inaugural year of competition.

Off the field, Barbarise has dedicated much of his time toward growing the sport’s footprint. From 2007-2022, he worked with i9 Sports, playing a key role in the national expansion of flag football. Over the past three years, Barbarise served as a board member for the Women’s Collegiate Flag Football League (WCFFL), contributing directly to the growth and development of women’s flag football at the collegiate level.

A former player in the Long Island Flag Football League (LIFFL), Barbarise is a 2018 inductee of the Long Island Flag Football Hall of Fame.