Ceal Barry’s 43-Year legacy honored at CU Events Center

Legendary Colorado Buffaloes women's basketball coach Ceal Barry embraces current coach JR Payne while being honored on Sunday. (Photo by Aspen Doust/Sko Buffs Sports)

On a snowy and cold Sunday afternoon, a crowd of hundreds gathered outside the northwest entrance of the CU Events Center to see legendary former head coach Ceal Barry honored before the Colorado Buffaloes women’s basketball game.

“2026 is CU’s 150th anniversary, and throughout this year, we will recognize the pioneers and visionaries who have shaped our history and whose impact continues to influence our future,” said Justin Schwartz, Chancellor of the University of Colorado. “I can think of very few people who fit that description quite as well as esteemed coach Ceal Barry.”

Barry is the winningest coach in CU women’s basketball history with 427 victories. During her time with the Buffs, she led them to four regular-season Big 8 titles, five conference tournament championships, three appearances in the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16 and three appearances in the Elite Eight. 

While she was undoubtedly proficient in shaping great basketball players, her impact went beyond the court. Barry was known for her commitment to the student-athlete, sportsmanship, integrity and ethical behavior. In 1995, she won the Carol Eckman Award, one of the highest honors for women’s college basketball coaches. 

Coach Ceal Barry with University of Colorado President Justin Schwartz (left) and former Athletic Director Rick George (right). (Aspen Doust/Sko Buffs Sports)

“As a coach, over 98% of her players earned a degree from CU,” said Schwartz. “This is a true testament to the mentorship she offered her student athletes and the way she helped them shape their priorities.”

In 2006, Barry was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame. She was later inducted into the University of Colorado Athletics Hall of Fame (2011) and the National Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (2018).

After her historic 22-year coaching career (1983-2005), she worked as CU Athletics’ senior women’s administrator for 15 years and spent nearly two months as interim athletic director until she retired in 2020. 

“Coach Barry’s lasting impact does not stop with her coaching career,” said Fernando Lovo, newly-named University of Colorado Athletic Director. “Ceal was a true champion for Title IX and helped establish the foundation for equity and opportunity that defines who we are as a department today.”

Barry’s legacy may have been honored on Sunday, but it was built over 43 years as a prolific coach and administrator.