Former KU Chancellor Gene Budig remembered as ‘phenomenal’ by hoops coach Larry Brown
.JPG "Then-MLB American League president Gene Budig held a news conference at Kauffman Stadium at Kauffman Stadium in 1998.")
Former University of Kansas basketball coach Larry Brown was saddened Tuesday to learn of the death of the man who hired him in 1983, ex-KU chancellor Gene Budig.
“Oh my gosh. I’ve not spoken to him in a month. This is really crazy. We just lost Laird Noller and now Gene,” Brown stated. Longtime Lawrence businessman Noller died Aug. 22 at the age of 83.
“We’ve lost John Thompson, Lute Olson, Eddie Sutton, Jerry Sloan, Wes Unseld, Tom Jernstedt, so many recently,” Brown added Tuesday in a phone interview with The Star. “It’s just amazing as you get older all these wonderful people pass away. It’s hard to respond,” added Brown, who turns 80 on Sept. 14.
Of Budig, Brown said: “We lost a great person. He was unbelievable to me. I was only at KU for five years with him, but he remained a big part of my life and was always trying to help me.
“I feel for his family, for Gretchen (Budig’s wife) … I feel lucky I was there when he and Monte (Johnson, former KU AD) were there. Coaching at Kansas is special because of what was done before I got there and what’s been done since I left. They made it possible for me (to be at KU). I had five unbelievable years there. He (Budig) is a big reason for that.”
Budig — he was chancellor at KU from 1981 to ’94 after serving as president at Illinois State (1973-77) and West Virginia (1977-81) — hired Johnson as AD at KU in 1982. Johnson brought in basketball coach Brown and football coach Mike Gottfried. After Johnson’s resignation, Budig hired Bob Frederick as AD. Frederick hired Roy Williams, who coached basketball at KU for 15 seasons.
“Monte came to see me (when Brown was hired away from the New Jersey Nets),” Brown said. “Monte told me I’d be working for a president that loves the school, loves athletics, who will be unbelievably supportive. He (Johnson) was right. He (Budig) was easy to talk to. I knew how much he loved the university.”
Budig also had the endorsement of Brown’s mentor, KU grad Dean Smith, of North Carolina coaching fame.
“Coach Smith was a big part of me going to KU,” Brown said. “He was so positive about the people I’d be working for. Monte was phenomenal and Chancellor Budig was phenomenal. You couldn’t ask for more support than they gave you.”
Budig, who also became quite close with KU hoops coach Williams, was a fixture at KU sporting events.
“He was there when we played, I know that — both he and his family,” said Brown, coach of KU’s 1988 national title team who was Jayhawk coach from the 1983-84 season through 87-88.
“He cared about the people who worked for him. I know he and Monte had an unbelievable relationship. I dealt more with Monte. Gene was always available. I could always talk to him.
“We both had a love for baseball which was kind of neat,” Brown stated.
Budig’s love of baseball surfaced in 1994 when he was named president of the American League. He served for six seasons and actually was the last president in league history
Former KU associate athletic director Doug Vance remembers Budig’s fondness of baseball.
“A great baseball guy,” Vance said of Budig, a part-owner of the minor league Charleston (South Carolina) RiverDogs since 2007.
“He had an all-time team where he had autographs from his favorite players for each position. He came to me shortly after he retired and said, ‘I have everybody but Hank Aaron on my list. Can you help me get his autograph?’
“I said, ‘I think I can help you there, give me a couple weeks,’’’ Vance related. “I called Jim Small who was with the Cubs at the time. I said, ‘Jim the chancellor is looking for a Hank Aaron ball. Do you know anybody with the Braves?’
“Two weeks later a box arrives from the Braves. There was a ball. It said, ‘To Doug Vance’ and was signed by Hank Aaron. I couldn’t give it to the chancellor,. It was personally autographed which kind of ruined the autograph.. Chancellor Budig laughed when I told him. He was able to find one,” Vance added of Budig locating an Aaron autograph to complete his collection.
Vance enjoyed working for Budig.
“He was very involved with athletics. He was in the athletic department from time to time,” said Vance, who is now executive director of the College Sports Information Directors of America.
“He took part in the dedication of the basketball locker room and got to know the coaches well. He was a presence. He made it clear he cares about athletics. He was a strong voice and leader in athletics. He was involved during an important, historic period of time with KU athletics.”
Noted former KU associate AD Richard Konzem, now men’s and women’s golf coach at Rockhurst College: “One thing I appreciated was his dry, witty sense of humor. He was really good at going back and forth with you. I’ll never forget one time he said, ‘Hey listen, just what kind of appointment do you think you are on (at KU) anyway?’
“I said, ‘Chancellor knowing you I’m probably listed ‘day to day.’ He said, ‘Wrong You are minute to minute.’ That was him. To have that kind of relationship with a chancellor was great.
“He was the teaching chancellor,” Konzem noted. “I took his ‘Organization and Administration of Higher Education’ class. It was a fabulous Monday night class in his conference room in his office. He brought in all these leaders of industry, from Hallmark, the Royals to speak to the class. It was really valuable information.”
Konzem noted that Budig hired AD Frederick who, “said we were going to win with academics as a strong component. If we’re going to win we are going to do it with good student-athletes. Chancellor Budig saw the value of a quality, successful athletic program with academic integrity and what it could do for the university. He saw that first hand with Campaign Kansas that he started (one of first major capital campaigns to raise dollars for KU).”
Budig is survived by his wife, Gretchen Van Bloom Budig, and three children: Christopher Budig, Mary Frances Budig and Kathryn Budig; sister Mary Ann Myers; brother Richard Budig; and five grandchildren.
There was reaction locally and nationally regarding Budig’s death Tuesday.
• KU chancellor Douglas Girod issued a message to the Jayhawk community.
“While we are saddened by Chancellor Budig’s passing, we can be grateful for the opportunity to celebrate his life and contributions to KU,” said Girod, who noted there are, “countless Jayhawks whose lives he touched.
“Before leaving the university, Chancellor Budig told the Oread magazine, ‘I will leave the university with a sense of satisfaction and appreciation. Many things have been made better, and it has been the highest honor to be associated with the people of KU. Lawrence will always be special to our family. It is home.’
“Well, Gene — we promise to look after your home in your absence,” Girod added.
• From Major League Baseball commissioner Robert Manfred: “Following his accomplished career in academia, Gene Budig became a friend to many in Baseball. Dr. Budig took great pride in his role as American League President,and continued to be in the game as part-owner of the Charleston RiverDogs. We appreciate his impact on students, his service to the Air National Guard, and his lifelong connection to our National Pastime. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I send my deepest condolences to his wife Gretchen, their family, and his friends throughout our game.”
• From former baseball commissioner Bud Selig to Foxnews.com: “He was a good friend and a wonderful person. I truly appreciated his work and his support.”
• From Jim Carothers, emeritus professor of English and local baseball enthusiast who taught a “literature of baseball” class for many years at KU:
“He was a steadfast champion of the faculty, of the good will of all of us, and interested in support for individual colleagues who needed help. When a faculty member got into front-page trouble in the local newspaper, the individual’s department chair got an early morning phone call from the Gene, asking, ‘How can we help him?’
“He paid careful attention to student needs and opinions. Remarkable for any chancellor or president, he taught a class every year he was in Lawrence. He often showed up at individual classes “to learn something” or to “ask questions.”
“His family life was often mixed up with his university responsibilities. He and Gretchen hosted students and faculty on a great variety of occasions. They watched carefully as their three children developed and grew up, and all five of them played jokes on each other. I especially remember one graduation present that seemed to be the most atrociously available used car they could find, then they pointed out the real gift car, hidden in another place. Gene and Gretchen quietly gave great amounts of money to the university, in support of scholarship students, particular KU schools, and myriad new distinguished professorships.
“He saw as many KU basketball games as anyone, was faithful at KU football games, and, of course, baseball games. He was a genuine Jayhawk.
“His term as Chancellor was, for many students and faculty, the best period of their academic years. We shall miss him. Rock Chalk, Gene.”
This story was originally published September 8, 2020 at 4:28 PM with the headline "Former KU Chancellor Gene Budig remembered as ‘phenomenal’ by hoops coach Larry Brown."
