Meet Riley Gaines’s Husband and Learn About Their Views on Family and Kids

When people think of Riley Gaines, they usually picture her on the podium or in the headlines. She’s made waves as a decorated collegiate swimmer and an outspoken advocate for women’s sports. Beyond the spotlight, however, Riley also has a home life that’s just as compelling — and people are curious to know more.

More specifically, who is Riley Gaines’s husband, who proudly sits beside her in many of her podcast episodes? Let’s take a closer look at who he is, what they believe in as a couple, and how they’re shaping their approach to family life.

Louis Barker first met Riley when they were both students at the University of Kentucky, per Mandatory. From college friends to life partners, their relationship grew naturally over time. He eventually became not just her husband, but her biggest supporter behind the scenes. According to his LinkedIn profile via Mandatory, he runs LCB Construction, a company that grew out of a previous venture in custom pools. You could say he swapped swimming pools for power tools — but the entrepreneurial energy stuck.

While Louis’s career might be rooted in business, he’s never shied away from talking about values. On Riley’s podcast Gaines for Girls, Louis opened up about what it means to build a strong marriage and home. For him, the foundation of parenting starts with unity. He explained that he wants their daughter — and any future children — to see their parents working as a team.

“It’s not mom versus dad,” he said. “It’s mom and dad together. We are one.” That idea of being aligned, even in the little things, seems to be a very important part of Riley's marriage.

Welcoming a baby into the mix definitely changes things — but for Riley and Louis, it’s also deepened their conversations about parenting. After the birth of their daughter, Margot, they shared that consistency would be key in their household. Louis talked about the importance of avoiding mixed signals, like one parent saying yes and the other saying no. During the same podcast episode, he explained that he wanted to avoid confusing their children by not being united with Riley on all decisions.

Riley agreed, adding that kids today often lack strong direction. “We see that in the world, in our culture, in schools,” she said before adding that it was “really important” for parents to provide children with that strong direction. Their parenting style isn’t about being perfect — it’s about being present, on the same page, and willing to work through things together.

Louis also made it clear that they’re determined to break negative cycles. He made it clear that “generational trauma” would not have a place in their household. One boundary he’s especially firm on? They never sleep in separate rooms — no matter how irritated they might get with each other. “There’s so many parents that do that now, and the kids think it's normal, and that’s not a healthy relationship."

Their public life may bring headlines, but it’s the choices they make — how they communicate, how they parent, how they support one another — that seem to define them most. Whether they have more children or not, the couple is already building a foundation with intention, love, and a deep sense of purpose.

So if you came here wondering about the man behind Riley Gaines’s, or what kind of parents they hope to be, the answer is pretty simple: They’re learning, growing, and figuring it out together — just like the rest of us.