David Barney is the first and only cross country and track and field coach at Paradise Valley Community College. He has developed those programs into some of the most successful programs in the country. Since 1996, his men's and women's cross country teams have combined to win an impressive 8 national championships (5 women, 3 men), been runners up six times, were 3rd three times and 4th four times. Three PVCC runners have captured Individual National Championships and 51 have earned All-American honors. The Puma cross-country teams have claimed 17 Region I Championships.

Since its inception in 1999, the PVCC Track and Field program, has also had a vast amount of success. Coach Barney's Pumas have 27 times been in the top 10 at the NJCAA National meet. Numerous PVCC athletes have excelled individually, capturing 42 Individual National Championships and 116 All-American awards.

Coach Barney grew up in Arizona and has strong ties to its running community. He was a state cross country and track and field champion, as well as junior college national champion. Following his days as an All-American athlete at the University of Arkansas, he returned to Arizona. He competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials four times and twice represented the U.S.A. in the world championships as a member of the U.S. National Team. He has been named NJCAA Cross Country National Coach of the Year seven times and was named Indoor Track and Field National Coach of the Year in 2002. In 2012, was honored as an inductee into the Arizona Runners Hall of Fame (along with Olympians Jesse Owens, Herman Frazier, and Lynn Nelson). Currently, he lives in Scottsdale with his wife Tracy and their six children, Michael, Meghan, Matthew, Jonathan, Elizabeth, and Rachel.