Bill Belknap, those who worked with him say, provided an ideal blend of wisdom, kindness and military bearing to help Wichita State's athletic department through a difficult time in the 1990s.
Belknap, 81, died Friday in Moscow, Idaho from congestive heart failure. He worked at Wichita State as athletic director from 1994-1999. He took over at a time when the department struggled financially with men's basketball slumping and Henry Levitt Arena showing its age. Media reports from 1994 put the athletic department deficit at $2 million.
"Things were really, really tough," said Becky Endicott, senior associate athletic director.