For those who were hoping to be rescued by GB or his replacement. vvvvvv
IOWA CITY — Gary Barta’s office still looks new at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. It’s filled with artifacts and mementos accumulated over his nine years as Iowa’s athletics director.
His office is symbolic of perhaps his proudest moment as the department’s lead officer. On June 12, 2008, with the Cedar and Iowa rivers overflowing throughout the Corridor, Barta persuaded UI President Sally Mason and convinced the Board of Regents to approve a $47 million renovation and construction project to Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
The project was vital toward keeping a self-sustaining athletics department on par with its peers. But it was problematic with the backdrop of a historic flood and a national economic disaster.
“Trying in the midst of those two things to not lose focus, still move forward ... there were days when I sat at my desk and wondered, ‘Just how in the world are we going to do this,’” Barta said. “But Hawkeye fans are great.”
By fall 2011, the basketball and volleyball programs had a much-needed practice facility, coupled with new offices and a face-lift to the arena bowl. That project was one of many completed on Barta’s watch, costing hundreds of millions of dollars. Others include $55 million for a new football practice and operations center, $9 million for a Kinnick Stadium sound and display system and an $8 million boathouse for the rowing program, among others.
By all accounts, this year should rank at the top of Barta’s era as Iowa’s athletics director. Along with the facility boom, his department set records for donations and graduation rates. The women’s basketball team advanced to the Sweet Sixteen and the men won their first NCAA tournament game since 2001. The wrestling squad finished second nationally, men’s gymnastics was sixth, baseball boasted its first NCAA wins since 1972 and the department earned its best Learfield rankings score under Barta.
Yet three areas continuously loom over Barta — football’s stagnation, a Title IX lawsuit filed by four field hockey players and public relations gaffes by his department.
That’s left plenty of speculation about Barta’s future at Iowa. His contract expires June 30, 2016, and his salary was $384,939 in fiscal year 2015. He restructured a deferred compensation account and received a one-time lump sum payment of $417,820 last summer. Barta received strong backing from UI President Sally Mason, whose tenure ends July 31. Opinions about Barta are mixed, both privately and publicly. Through representatives, Mason declined an interview request for this story.
UI alum Bruce Rastetter, a confidant of Gov. Terry Branstad, donated $5 million toward the new football performance center. Rastetter, CEO of The Summit Group and other business ventures, also serves as chairman of the state Board of Regents. Rastetter participates on the UI presidential search committee and ultimately will help select UI’s next president.
When it comes to Barta’s future, Rastetter deferred.
“In regard to Gary, I would let the new president make that decision, the Board of Regents doesn’t,” Rastetter said. “I would assume that the president will sit down with all of those key reports and go through that.
“I think there’s been some positive things with the program. Gary’s been there a long time, he’s a good guy, and we should leave that to the next president.”
Booster Dick Benne, who started the Des Moines I-Club and enters his 49th year as a football season ticket-holder, is impressed with Barta.
“My relationship with him has been very good,” said Benne, who lives in Burlington. “I email him back and forth on a friendship basis once a week, I get an answer back in an hour or two. I think that he listens to what’s going to on in the area.
“He’s a fan’s AD. He’s an excellent speaker and he listens and he gets things done.”
