Josh Barnett is an Evansville, Indiana, entrepreneur, former educator and basketball apparel executive best known as a co-founder of 19nine, a retro college basketball apparel company. He also briefly served on the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation (EVSC) Board of School Trustees in 2024.
Barnett is an Evansville native and graduate of Reitz High School. He later attended Indiana University and spent 17 years as a middle school teacher, including eight years at Washington Middle School in Evansville.
19nine
Barnett and three friends founded 19nine around 2011–2012. The company initially sold T-shirts before finding its niche producing retro college basketball apparel, particularly recreations of shorts worn by memorable teams from the 1980s, 1990s and other eras.
The name 19nine refers to 19 feet, 9 inches, the former distance of the men’s college basketball three-point line.
Among the company’s early collegiate licenses were Indiana, Purdue, Butler and the University of Evansville. 19nine recreated shorts from UE’s memorable 1988–89 basketball team and also produced retro merchandise connected to the former Evansville Triplets baseball team.
Barnett left teaching in 2020 to concentrate on 19nine full time. The company eventually developed licensing relationships with more than 80 colleges and universities.
In March 2024, SLAM acquired 19nine. Barnett continued working in the basketball industry following the acquisition, becoming an executive with SLAM Media.
Community Work and EVSC School Board
Barnett and 19nine have participated in several Evansville community projects, including the renovation of the basketball court at Fulton Park. The company also donated $10,000 to Lincoln School and provided collegiate apparel to Hangers, which serves EVSC students.
In July 2024, Barnett was appointed to fill a vacant District 3 seat on the EVSC School Board.
He subsequently ran for a full four-year term in the November 2024 election against Amy DeVries and incumbent Terry Gamblin. With two seats available, DeVries finished first with approximately 37 percent of the vote, Gamblin received approximately 35 percent and Barnett finished third with approximately 28 percent.
Barnett’s appointed tenure ended following the election.
Legacy
Barnett’s career has connected education, entrepreneurship and basketball culture in Evansville. His path from a Reitz graduate and Washington Middle School teacher to co-founding a nationally distributed basketball apparel company and later becoming a SLAM executive makes him a notable figure in Evansville’s modern business community.
See also: 19nine