Barbara Burke keeping Iowa athletics 'moving forward' with Gary Barta on leave

IOWA CITY — The beginning of Barbara Burke's tenure as Deputy Director of Athletics at the University of Iowa hasn't exactly been quiet or run-of-the-mill.

Her appointment to the position was announced the day the trial began for the lawsuit brought by Jane Meyer for gender and sexual discrimination against the UI. Almost a month ago, her boss, athletics director Gary Barta, took a leave of absence while seeking treatment for prostate cancer. Then, Saturday, assistant coach Brian Ferentz had some not-so-friendly words to say in the Kinnick Stadium press box, and the department had to spend the next several days dealing with that.

Filling in for Barta at the monthly President's Committee on Athletics on Thursday, Burke gave her first public comments as a UI athletics official — even announcing a feasibility study for a new softball stadium complex.

You wouldn't know there were any challenges at all to ask Burke. Her time as AD at Eastern Illinois and her vast experience in athletics administration before coming to Iowa made whatever she's faced in her opening months in Iowa City no big deal, she said.

'It's been great,' Burke said. 'We have such a great staff and such a solid foundation. My goal was just to keep things moving forward, to make sure we keep things processed. It's been really good. It hasn't been overly difficult.

'It's been great, really. People have stepped up to the plate and got things done.'

Burke is functioning as some combination of AD and deputy AD while Barta is on his leave, which now includes being in the athletics offices part time. Burke said Thursday Barta 'has been coming in in the mornings, spending half a day with us and getting filled in.' She said Barta does not have a specific timetable for a full-time return, and added 'I think he's doing it the right way, taking his time and trusting his staff to do the things that need to get done.'

Burke added the staff is experienced enough to know when certain things 'need to get to him,' like the situation with Ferentz this week. Burke said Barta's part-time status was why he handled it as Ferentz's direct supervisor; otherwise she would've been the one to have that meeting.

When she found out Barta would be out for a while, Burke wasn't concerned with how it would affect her or the department. Apart from being concerned for Barta and his health, Burke said there was a plan in place quickly among the senior staff to ensure nothing 'slipped through the cracks,' and that the department would continue to function smoothly.

'I don't really think of it as doing two jobs,' Burke said. 'I think of it as doing what we need to do on a day-to-day basis to keep Hawkeye athletics going forward in a positive direction. (Senior associate athletic director) Matt Henderson and I talked, began to look at Gary's schedule and split some things up, where there were things we could push down a little bit.'

Burke sharing the news of the study for the feasibility of a new softball stadium is part of her purview as deputy. She said the department is looking at whether or not a potential move to the complex off Mormon Trek Blvd would be viable. Currently, north of the Hawkeye Athletics Hall of Fame — which is next to Iowa Soccer and Field Hockey playing fields — there's a large open, unused bit of land that Burke said is one spot among a few in the area the complex could end up and that 'nothing is firm' at this point.

Burke said there are 'some water issues on occasion' where softball currently resides, and that 'it's time to revisit that situation,' for logistical and competitiveness reasons. The study will look at what the best course of action will be for Iowa financially as well because, she said, 'we have to make sure we have the funding to do it. We're self-sustaining and we have that responsibility.'

Whatever the situation, Burke talking about the softball facility was just one example of the list of things she's had on her plate since she started this summer.

'Athletics in general is an exciting environment,' Burke said. 'No one day is the same. Every day you can come in and have a plan and most of the time that plan is going to change. Fortunately for me, I've been in the business for 30 years, so there's a lot that I've seen and understand how to respond. I try not to react. I try to act to situations. There's been learning situations; there's been teachable moments in those, so it's been great. I'm glad I've had the opportunity to assist where I can and provide leadership.'

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