Brady Barke was named the director of athletics at Southeast Missouri State University in July.

Barke formerly served as the interim director of athletics after the resignation of Mark Alnutt in July 2015.

As interim director, Barke set in motion renovations to the athletics weight room, intramural fields and Capaha Field. So far, as director, he had the responsibility of replacing baseball coach Steve Bieser after he resigned to accept a position at the University of Missouri.

Barke is responsible for the general management of the the 15 Division I sports teams at Southeast and also works with the more than 300 student-athletes.

“It all centers around the experience that our student-athletes have,” Barke said. “We want them to have the best experiences possible. We want them to earn a degree and experience the personal development, all while having athletic success to win games.”

Barke started his tenure at Southeast in 2008 when he came to the university as the assistant director of athletics for compliance and eligibility. He has served as Senior Associate to the President, secretary to the Board of Regents and the associate director of athletics for compliance and student support services.

“Southeast is a special place for me,” Barke said. “When I got here, I didn’t know that I would stick around as long as I have, but I fell in love with Southeast and the community. It’s a great place to live and raise a family and it’s been a real blessing.”

Before coming to Southeast, he held numerous positions with the National Association of Athletics Compliance. Barke and his wife, Halley, also have established a scholarship fund for freshman athletes called the Brady and Halley Barke Endowed Scholarship.