INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Butler University’s next vice president and director of athletics is someone who already knows the school and its athletic program quite well.

Grant Leiendecker, a 2011 Butler graduate who has served his alma mater as associate vice president of athletics since August, will succeed current AD Barry Collier.

Leiendecker will continue working alongside Collier over the next few months before officially assuming the role with Collier’s retirement, effective May 1, university president James Danko announced Friday.

“I’m grateful to President Danko, the search committee, and the board of trustees for this opportunity, and to Barry Collier for his leadership of Butler Athletics and his mentorship personally. There is a solid foundation, which includes so many talented student athletes, coaches and administrators, for us to continue to build upon as we boldly pursue unprecedented heights for Butler Athletics and our university as a whole,” Leiendecker said in a release.

As Butler’s next athletic director, Leiendecker will have some big shoes to fill.

Outgoing AD Barry Collier, who said in November that he planned to retire, has worked at Butler for 31 years and has led its athletics department since 2006.

“I’m thrilled that Grant is getting this opportunity; he is the right choice at the right time to lead Butler Athletics,” Collier said in a release. “In his time as a Bulldog student-athlete, gaining valuable experience at other institutions, and over the course of the last few months since returning to Butler, Grant has proven himself to be dedicated and talented leader who I am confident will continue to advance our mission and build upon our success.”

Leiendecker was a scholarship member of Butler’s men’s basketball program and was inducted into the Butler Athletics Hall of Fame in 2021 along with his teammates on the 2010 and 2011 teams that appeared in the national championship game.

He graduated from Butler in 2011 with a degree in finance, spent time as a postgraduate intern at the NCAA in Indianapolis before attending graduate school, and received his master’s degree in sport administration from UNC in 2014.