Long-time Purdue athletic director Morgan Burke passed away Monday morning at his home in West Lafayette after a yearlong battle with amyloidosis.
He was 68 years old.
“Morgan left an indelible mark on Purdue Athletics, and thousands of student-athletes benefited from his faithful leadership,” Purdue President Mitch Daniels said. “He was the ultimate competitor, and his passion for the Boilermakers was second to none. He continued to serve the university the last four years, doing everything he could to strengthen our mission. Our deepest condolences to Kate, Joyce, Morgan Jr. and Pat.”
Burke, 1973 graduate of Purdue University, was hired as Athletic Director in 1993.
Burke spent 23 years as head of the department until his retirement in 2016, according to Purdue. He had the fourth-longest tenure among directors at Football Bowl Subdivision institutions.
Also during his tenure, two teams — women's basketball and women's golf — won NCAA championships and eight student-athletes won a combined 14 individual national crowns, according to Purdue. The football team went on a run of 10 bowl games in 12 years (1997-2008), and the men's basketball team won a string of Big Ten regular-season championships in 1994, 1995 and 1996.
Purdue Head Football Coach Jeff Brohm issued the following statement.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out today to the family of Morgan Burke. Morgan was a Boilermaker to his core, as he devoted much of his life to the growth and development of Purdue athletics,”
Purdue Head Basketball Coach Matt Painter shared the following statement about Burke's passing.
"Not many people loved Purdue more than Morgan Burke. Morgan's impact on Purdue Athletics was huge. He built a foundation for the modern program and impacted countless coaches, staff and student-athletes.
On a personal note, I owe him a huge debt of gratitude for having the faith and confidence in me to allow me to lead our Purdue Basketball program. To say I'm forever grateful to him would be an understatement.
My heart goes out to Kate and the family."
RIP Morgan Burke.
You left an incredible imprint on the Purdue Boilermaker family. pic.twitter.com/J0wHBTXPoG
— Purdue Mens Basketball (@BoilerBall) June 15, 2020
