Gary Barta

Iowa baseball coach Rick Heller says he was caught off guard by the sudden retirement of Hawkeye Athletic Director Gary Barta. The school announced Barta will retire on August first after serving 17 years as A-D.

“I knew that it might be happening within the next couple of years possibly in Gary and I’s conversation but I did not know it would be this quick”, said Heller. “I just have so much gratitude for Gary hiring me and putting faith in me to turn the Iowa program around.”

Barta has been criticized after four discrimination suits in the past nine years cost the U-I more than 11-million dollars. There has also been more than 380 million dollars of facility upgrades and a high level of success in numerous sports. Heller says Barta deserves much of the credit for that success.

“It is not like this everywhere”, added Heller. “I think we get spoiled sometimes at the University of Iowa and our fanbase because they are starting to expect that in every sport and that’s what they are getting. But that does not happen everywhere and it is pretty special.”

Iowa will announce an interim athletic director next week. The Hawkeye baseball team is 41-13 and returns to action tomorrow in the semifinal round of the Big Ten Tournament in Omaha. Iowa plays the winner of this afternoon’s between Michigan and Indiana and will need one win on Saturday to advance to Sunday’s championship game.