Kellee Barney, an established coaching veteran, was hired as part of Loree Payne's coaching staff in April 2017. The 2024-25 season will be her eighth on staff.

In seven seasons, Barney has assisted with the development of 11 players earning a total of 17 All-Big Sky honors including four first-team nods. She has guided the Lumberjacks to three-straight Big Sky Championship games and a 2022-23 regular season title. Of the court, Barney helps lead NAU's recruiting and academic efforts.

The 2023-24 squad finished 25-10 overall and 15-3 in Big Sky play, eclipsing the 20-win threshold for the second-straight season, putting together consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time since 2005-06/2006-07. The squad broke three school records including points scored with 2,636 – averaging 75 points per game to lead the conference.
 
Northern Arizona advanced to its third-straight championship game and earned a WNIT berth for the second-straight season, earning a first-round bye. NAU boasted a unanimous first-team All-Big Sky selection in Sophie Glancey who led the league in scoring and field goal percentage, earning Player of the Week honors three times. Leia Beattie was named to the second team, and both Emily Rodabaugh and Olivia Moran were recognized with honorable mention nods. Rodabaugh ended her career ranking in the top 10 in 12 different categories in the Northern Arizona record book, including NAU’s all-time three-pointers made record. Additionally, NAU was ranked in the mid-major poll for the first time in program history and three different players collected five Big Sky Player of the Week awards.

Barney assisted with NAU's post players and guards during the 2018-19 season and helped the Lumberjacks nearly double their win total from seven wins to 13 in her second season. NAU won a conference tournament game for the first time since 2007 and defeated five WNIT qualifying teams throughout the season. The progress continued in 2019-20, as the Lumberjacks won 16 games to finish above .500 for the first time in more than a decade while also reaching the semifinals of the Big Sky Conference Tournament.

In her first season at NAU, Barney worked primarily with the Lumberjacks' post players and helped NAU lead the Big Sky in rebounding at 41.9 per game. Under Barney's tutelage, Kenna McDavis ranked third in the conference in rebounding and set a new single season school record with 87 three-pointers made. Barney also was pivotal in Khiarica Rasheed's development, as Rasheed led all Big Sky freshman post players with 7.7 points per game during league play.

Barney arrived at Northern Arizona University with nearly three decades of Division I coaching experience, including three stints in the Pac-10 (now Pac-12) Conference. Most recently, Barney was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Montana State from 2012-15. While at Montana State, she recruited and was part of the developmental process of two players – Jasmine Hommes and Peyton Ferris – who would go on to be voted the Big Sky Conference Most Valuable Player. Hommes and Ferris both rank among the top 10 all-time scorers at Montana State.

Barney is a recognized name, especially in the western United States, through her time as an assistant at Oregon State (2008-10), Arizona (2002-08) and Washington State (1985-94). Between her 17 combined seasons in the Pac-10, she was a part of four 20-win seasons, three of which came during her six seasons at Arizona. Her teams reached the NCAA Tournament three times (2003-05) while at Arizona and once at Washington State in 1991 along with a WNIT appearance with Oregon State in 2008. By the end of her tenures, she was elevated to Assistant Head Coach at Arizona and Associate Head Coach at Washington State in addition to serving as recruiting coordinator at both institutions.

She has coached multiple players to All-American honors led by Shawntinice Polk, who received six honors over three years at Arizona from 2003-05. Barney also mentored Dee-Dee Wheeler – the third all-time leading scorer at Arizona – to a pair of All-American nods along with Jenni Ruff and Jonni Gray (Mauch) at Washington State, both of whom still remain in the top-five in scoring at Washington State over two decades later.

Barney also has head coaching experience having served as the head women's basketball coach at Gonzaga for six years from 1994-2000. While at Gonzaga, she produced eight all-conference selections and her 1998-99 squad ranked in the top 10 nationally for overall team grade point average. Her credentials also include her initial coaching job as an assistant at Portland State from 1983-85 and as an assistant coach for the Pac-10 All-Star teams in 1989 and 1992 during their foreign tours.

She starred at Idaho where she played for the Vandals from 1982-83 and was part of Idaho's 1982 Northwest Empire League and regional champion team that posted a 27-5 record. Previously, she played two seasons at Wenatchee Valley College where she led the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges in free throw percentage and helped her team to a combined 55-2 record and back-to-back NWAACC State championships.

Barney graduated from Idaho with a bachelor's degree in Sociology in 1983.