Barbour is a North Carolina native who attended Broughton High School in Raleigh where he exceled in football and baseball.  Broughton did not field a wrestling team while Barbour was a student. He attended East Carolina where he played football and baseball, earning his degree in 1968.  While a student at ECU, Barbour took a wrestling class, the beginning of a career in wrestling that would last for over thirty years.  From 1970-81, Barbour coached wrestling at Grimsley High School in Greensboro.  During his tenure at Grimsley, Barbour’s teams won 78% of their matches, had a dual meet record of 108-30, amassed a 57-match winning streak over five consecutive seasons and won the 1976 state tournament.  He coached six individual state champions and one NCAA qualifier.  Barbour’s coaching accolades include being the first ever “Mat News” coach of the year in 1976 and being named the 1977 North Carolina Wrestling Coach-of-the-year by National Federation of State High School Associations.  Barbour also founded the Guilford County wrestling tournament in 1974 and the Greensboro City Junior High Championships 1976.  He directed both tournaments until 1981.  Barbour not only was a successful high school coach, but also a distinguished official.  He served as a high school and collegiate official for 32 years before retiring in 2004.  He officiated the North Carolina state tournament 14 times and has been recognized by the North Carolina Officials Association for having over 30 years of service.  Barbour is one of the first in North Carolina to coach a state championship team and officiate in a state tournament.