INDIANAPOLIS — After spending more than 30 years with Butler University athletics, Barry Collier will retire as athletic director next year.
According to a news release from the university, Collier’s retirement will be effective on April 30, 2024. According to the university’s website, Collier previously served as the university’s men’s basketball coach for 11 seasons, winning 196 career games.
As the university’s athletic director, Collier helped oversee the university’s move to the BIG EAST conference and multiple sports, including men’s basketball, track and field and volleyball, have participated in NCAA championship play, according to the university’s website. Collier was recognized as the Under Armour AD of the Year in 2019.
In a letter sent by Collier, he said he is grateful for the opportunities he has had as a student-athlete, coach and director of athletics throughout his career. Collier said Butler University is the place he considers home.
“When I first stepped onto Butler’s campus in the fall of 1974, I immediately felt at home. I loved my time in a Bulldog uniform and competing in Hinkle Fieldhouse. While my coaching career took me around the country for years, my heart was never too far from Indianapolis,” Collier said in the letter. “In 1989, the opportunity to lead the Butler Bulldog men’s basketball program was the fruition of a dream, and my eleven years on the bench were memorable. To be able to return to Butler in 2006 to lead the Department of Athletics has been the icing on the cake.
“It has been my honor to be a part of the Butler Family, to proudly wear the blue and white uniform, then to recruit and mentor tremendous young men as the men’s basketball coach, and to have them remain a part of my life; and to lead an athletics department of incredibly talented professionals who work each and every day on behalf of our student-athletes,” the letter continued. “I am also very thankful for the support of our trustees, administrators, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and donors.”
In a message from Butler University President Jim Danko, Danko praised Collier, saying he “personified” the university’s values of dedication, spirit and excellence.
“He has consistently demonstrated these qualities with utmost integrity and distinction. While it is impossible to encapsulate all of Barry’s accomplishments here, rest assured that his contributions are both significant and numerous,” Danko said. “In the coming months, we will take every opportunity to honor Barry’s remarkable legacy at Butler University. He will also play a pivotal role in the Department of Athletics leadership transition over the next six months. I will be in touch with further updates regarding the transition in due course.”
For more information about Butler University’s athletic program, click here.
