Colorado University Athletics
WINKELBAUER WRAPPING UP 11-YEAR TENURE AT CU
BOULDER ? Brian Winkelbauer, the assistant athletic director for student services for the past five years at the University of Colorado, has announced his resignation from the department as he will join Broomfield-based Capstone, a project and construction management consulting firm.
Winkelbauer, 36, accepted the vice president of business development position with Capstone in early November, well ahead of former CU athletic director Dick Tharp’s resignation on November 22. Capstone is a majority woman-owned, project and construction management consulting firm providing solutions in project management, construction management and project controls that was founded in 1994.
He is wrapping up his 11-year tenure at CU and will start his new position the first week in January.
“The best things about CU athletics are the people, extending all the way from the student-athlete to the coaches and the staff,” Winkelbauer said. “I’m leaving here with tremendous memories, and you can’t ask for more that. I want to say thanks to everyone that I was privileged to work with.”
Winkelbauer joined CU athletics in 1993, working a little over two years as the business manager for the former Golden Buffalo Scholarship Fund (now the Colorado Athletic Fund), before moving into a role as the special assistant to the athletic director, a position he held from 1996-2000 until being promoted to an assistant AD.
While his primary responsibilities were in the area of student services, including sports medicine, strength and conditioning, equipment, sports video, life skills and training table, in his five years, he left his mark on the position, one that really came into being only over the last decade at CU.
Winkelbauer played a significant role in the development of Life Skills programming, including the hiring of the program’s first full-time director, Justina Boyd; developing a career network; community service activities; the Optimal Performance Team (OPT); designing the plan for the student-athletes computer lab; philosophy and team building and general student affairs among his many accomplishments.
The student-athletes selected him as the 2001-02 Staff Member of the Year for his contributions and time dedicated to the success of the members of CU’s 17 intercollegiate programs. He was also the staff advisor of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for the last five years.
Winkelbauer graduated from CU in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in music education. As a student at CU, he was a member of the Golden Buffalo Marching Band, serving as the drum major for four years. He also was a member of the legendary "CU Buffoons," an all-male a cappella singing troupe. The Denver native and Aurora Gateway High School grad helped compose "Ralphie's Dance," a musical number played prior to the CU mascot's taking the field before football games, as well as the current song used for the team’s entry video.
Winkelbauer’s duties will be split among several staff members until a successor can be named sometime next year.