Barron Bremner

Longtime coach, athletic director, educator and vice president for college advancement Barron Bremner died Feb. 12. He was 75.

Bremner may be the only man to successfully bridge the great divide between athletic rivals Coe and Cornell—not once, but twice. During a 42-year career he had a positive effect on the lives of thousands of student-athletes at both schools.

Bremner first came to Cornell College in 1959, coached multiple sports and served two years as Dean of Men. In 1971 he left for Coe as athletic director, chair of the physical education department, and head wrestling coach.

In 1978 he was back to Cornell as athletic director, wrestling coach and assistant to the president. He began the job by personally moving 40 lockers from the Women’s Gym (now McWethy Hall) to the Fieldhouse to merge men’s and women’s athletics. Four years later he gave up his athletic duties and in 1985 was named vice president for institutional advancement and director of the $62 million Program for Cornell, which included the Small Multi-Sport Center.

In 1993 Bremner made his final career move, returning to Coe as athletic director. He retired in 2001.

Bremner’s combined coaching record at Coe and Cornell includes 18 conference titles in 23 years.  In 1995, he was inducted into the Cornell Athletics Hall of Fame.

Bremner graduated from the University of Iowa in 1958. He was a member of the Hawkeye Rose Bowl football team and a heavyweight wrestler, and was elected to the NCAA Division I Wrestling Hall of Fame.

A full obituary will appear in the summer Cornell Report.