Butler board of trustees accepts resignation of basketball coach Brian Barone

Butler Community College’s board of trustees accepted the resignation of first-year men’s basketball coach Brian Barone on Tuesday.

Barone had been on an indefinite leave of absence since being arrested on the suspicion of driving under the influence in Andover on Nov. 5.

Barone’s arrest came after the Grizzlies started the season 0-3. The Grizzlies have gone 9-1 under interim coach Bryan Miller since Barone left the team.

“At this time, I have decided to step away from coaching for personal reasons,” Barone said in a statement. “I look forward to spending time with my family. I appreciate the opportunity Butler gave me and wish the program success in the future.”

Wisconsin court records obtained by The Eagle show that it was Barone’s second alcohol-related driving arrest in the last two years, following an arrest for operating a vehicle while under the influence in Appleton, Wis., on Aug. 22, 2014, while Barone was an assistant coach at Division I Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Barone was found guilty via a no-contest plea in that case, had his driver’s license suspended for eight months and his vehicle equipped with an interlock ignition device for 12 months, which would have put the second DUI in the timeframe of still having the device.

An interlock ignition device is a breathalyzer that prevents a car’s engine from being started if the driver’s blood-alcohol level is above a pre-programmed level.

Barone’s arrest in Andover came in a 2014 Toyota Corolla registered to Kentfield Pharmacy in Lenexa – a vehicle that did not have an interlock device. Pharmacy owner Kent Kentfield, reached Tuesday, wouldn’t say how Barone came into possession of the car or if he was aware that Barone had a previous DUI offense.

Butler officials wouldn’t disclose if they knew about Barone’s previous DUI arrest when he was hired in June to replace Mike Bargen, who left to become an assistant coach at Bradley. Barone, Bargen and Bradley coach Brian Wardle were all teammates at Marquette in the late 1990s.

“The search process is part of the personnel record and is confidential,” said Butler Vice President of Student Services Bill Rinkenbaugh. “No one can release any info regarding the (coaching) search.”

Barone, the son of former Texas A&M, Creighton and Memphis Grizzlies coach Tony Barone, was the top assistant at Green Bay for five seasons. He previously worked at Illinois State, Indiana and Marquette.

This story was originally published December 9, 2015 at 12:14 PM with the headline "Butler board of trustees accepts resignation of basketball coach Brian Barone."