Barone was an Academic All-American while playing at Duke, where he graduated with a degree in English in 1971. He was previously the head coach at Creighton from 1985 to 1991. During his time at Creighton, Barone compiled a 102–82 record and led Creighton to two NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament appearances. Barone was pursued by major Division I programs and took the head coach position at Texas A&M, where he led the team from 1991 to 1998. During his Texas A&M tenure, Barone compiled a record of 76–120 while having only one winning season. Barone was fired as head coach at Texas A&M following the 1997–98 season. He was a member of the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.
