Barbee played college basketball for Massachusetts under John Calipari, winning two Atlantic 10 regular season and tournament championships in 1992 and 1993.

Barbee was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, and grew up as a fan of the nearby Butler University Bulldogs.

For the 1995–96 season, Barbee and former teammate Derek Kellogg returned to college basketball as a graduate assistant at UMass, helping as the Minutemen reached the Final Four for the first time in program history.

In 2002, Barbee received a letter of reprimand from the University of Memphis for pushing an Arkansas player.

Barbee pushed Sullinger, an action replayed several times during throughout the game that Memphis ultimately lost.

[9] Barbee lost his first game as Auburn's head coach on November 12, 2010 to UNC Asheville in overtime 70–69.

[15] Barbee was fired on March 12, 2014, minutes after losing in the first round of the SEC tournament to South Carolina 74–56.

[16] He finished with a cumulative record of 49–75 (.395), the lowest winning percentage of any Auburn head coach with more than a two-season tenure.

On April 23, 2021, Barbee was announced as the next head coach of the Central Michigan Chippewas Men's Basketball team.

[17] Barbee took over following the firing of Keno Davis, who served as head coach of the Chippewas for nine seasons.

Barbee would take over a program that hadn't made an appearance in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament since 2003.