Ernie Barrett, who played for the Boston Celtics and then spent 75 years at Kansas State as an athlete, coach, and administrator before his death on Friday in Manhattan, Kansas, was a standout at Kansas State. He was 93.
His loved ones confirmed Barrett’s passing. On Thursday, the Wildcats will have a memorial ceremony at Bramlage Coliseum, where the team’s basketball games are held and a banner honouring Barrett’s accomplishments hangs from the ceiling.
Kansas State’s Jerome Tang, who led the Wildcats to an unexpected Elite Eight run this past season in men’s basketball, credited the university president for his team’s success. “He came to visit me before every home game and was incredibly welcoming to my staff and me in our first year,” Tang said. He was the biggest fan of the institution and its basketball team.
Who is Ernie Barrett?
In the 1940s, Barrett was the star basketball player at Wellington High School in Kansas, leading the Wildcats to their lone state title in school history. Phog Allen wanted him to play for Kansas, while Henry Iba wanted him to go to Oklahoma State. However, he ended up at Kansas State, where he played under Jack Gardner and Tex Winter, who would become Hall of Famers in the sport.
In 1951, Barrett guided the Wildcats to the title game, ultimately falling to Kentucky and Adolph Rupp.
Barrett was the Celtics’ seventh overall pick in the 1951 NBA draught, but he served in the military for two years instead. After two years with Red Auerbach, he played alongside Celtics legend Bob Cousy.
Barrett felt compelled to return to his old institution in 1955 and began working for the alumni organization. Barrett started working for Winter as an assistant coach in 1958, and throughout six seasons, he twice led the Wildcats to the national championship game.
In 1963, Barrett transitioned into administration, and by 1969–1975, he was serving as the athletic director at Kansas State. Up until his retirement in 2007, he worked as a consultant and director of development, and afterward, he remained involved in volunteerism.
Longtime Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder said of Ernie, “He was one of the dearest of friends, one of the greatest K-Staters in the world.” In my 40 years and counting at this institution, I have never encountered someone who cared more about or contributed more to the university than Ernie. He looked for ways to advertise Kansas State University and its sports teams everywhere he went.
Kansas State alum and 40-year congressman Pat Roberts has remarked that Barrett was the school’s “first big fundraiser” for athletics, helping to make Kansas State’s programme competitive and bolstering the university’s reputation.
Career of Ernie Barrett
Barrett had interest from several coaches, including Phog Allen and Henry Iba, but he enrolled at Kansas State University in 1947 to play for Jack Gardner and Tex Winter.
Source: The Wichita eagle
Barrett led the Wildcats to the 1951 national title game, which they won. His shoulder injury happened in the semi-final game against Oklahoma A&M, and it hurt the Wildcats’ chances of winning the championship game.
Barrett was the seventh overall pick in the 1951 NBA Draught, and the Boston Celtics took him. He then went on to play 131 games with the Boston Celtics in the NBA between the 1953–54 and 1955–56 seasons.
Ernie Barrett cause of death
Ernie Barrett, often known as “Mr. K-State,” passed away early Friday morning in Manhattan at the age of 93. Director of Men’s Basketball Communications Tom Gilbert has announced that a memorial ceremony will be held on Thursday, April 27 at 1 p.m. CT in Bramlage Coliseum, followed by a reception in the Shamrock Zone. There will be a public reception following the service.
According to Gilbert, Barrett is survived by his wife of 72 years, Bonnie, as well as his son Brad, grandson Ryan, and his wife Lauren. Both of his parents, Ernie and Ruby, and his son, Duane, had died before him. K-State President Dr. Richard Linton once observed, “Ernie Barrett has always been a shining example of what it means to be a K-Stater.” “Ernie exemplified the work ethic, passion, and perseverance that are characteristics of the Wildcat spirit throughout his long career at Kansas State, on and off the court. Mr. K-State left an indelible mark on our wonderful university, one that we will always honour and cherish.
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