COURTESY OF BUTLER CC ATHLETICS (5/30/2025)

EL DORADO, Kan. – After 38 years at Butler Community College, the last 23 as Director of Athletics, Todd Carter announced he will retire from his position effective June 30th, 2025.

Carter, the second longest tenured athletic director in the 21-member Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC), led Butler to impressive heights throughout his tenure that began in 2003.

"It has been an incredible ride the past 38 years," Carter said. "El Dorado and Butler has been the only home my family and I have had. Since the Kansas City Chiefs training camp in 1987 when Coach (Steve) Braet hollered at me asking if I needed a job until today, this place has been very special. The coaching staff and close to 10,000 student-athletes I've got to work daily alongside in the 500-building made it very easy to want to come to campus every day. We've had some very memorable runs through the years and had a lot of success in the KJCCC and Region 6 along with numerous national championships. I realized it was time to step down and let someone else continue the excellence that's been established."

A native of Rapid City, S.D., Carter has spent nearly four decades at Butler. His run with the Grizzlies began in 1987 as the Head Athletic Trainer. He served in that position until 2003 when he was promoted to Athletic Director.

Under Carter's direction, Butler has made a name for itself on the national level winning seven team NJCAA Championships; football in 2003, 2007 and 2008; men's and women's Half-Marathon in 2004; and softball in 2016 & 2017.

The Grizzlies have also claimed an astounding 75 KJCCC regular season championships under Carter's watch.

"I have known TC since my arrival as Butler's president in 1995," said Butler Community College Interim President, Dr. Jackie Vietti. "From my perspective, he has left an indelible mark on Butler, first as its widely respected athletic trainer and then as its athletic director as he helped build Butler Athletics into the nationally recognized sports program it is today. During his tenure Butler earned multiple national championships and as importantly, our student-athletes excelled and continue to do so, not only on the field or court, but also in the classroom and the broader community. TC has created a legacy that merits continuation, and we wish him the very best as he enters this next most-deserved phase of life."

The athletic department finished third in the 2008 National Alliance of Two Year College Athletic Administrator's (NATYCAA) Cup for the best overall athletic program nationally. Butler has had many other top-30 finishes under Carter including eighth nationally in 2017, 21st in 2018, 28th in 2019, eighth in 2020 and 12th in 2023.

Carter was presented with the Bryce Roderick Award of Excellence, presented annually to the top athletic director in NJCAA Region 6, in back-to-back seasons from 2016 and 2017. He became not only the first athletic director to win the award more than once, but Butler was the first school to earn the honor in back-to-back seasons.

The facilities for Butler student-athletes have seen impressive facelifts as well as multiple new facilities being built with Carter leading fundraising efforts. He oversaw major renovations and or construction of the Hubbard Champions Training Center, the Ramon and Betty Criss Football Complex, the Dr. Larry and Judy Abraham Men's Basketball Locker Room and women's basketball locker room, BG Products Veterans Sports Complex and the Abraham Sports Medicine Center.

Butler football and soccer opened the 2012 season in the new 6,000-seat BG Products Veterans Sports Complex, one of the finest facilities in all of two-year athletics. Carter, alongside a Butler contingent, helped oversee and obtain financing for the project.

Carter is also currently overseeing the improvements to the Power Plant, Butler's gym that men's and women's basketball and volleyball play their home games in. Following the paint job, addition of windows on each baseline and the transformation of the Butler Hall of Fame room, additional signage is being added throughout the building with more improvements coming.

Butler has routinely been at or near the top of the pack in GPA among the KJCCC as academics have not been neglected under Carter's watch. The athletics department most recently posted a 3.16 department GPA in the fall of 2024. In total, nine of 11 programs finished with a 3.0 or higher across the 2024 fall semester. Following the 2023-24 season, 72 Grizzly student-athletes earned honors while eight of Butler's 11 programs earned the NJCAA Academic team award. Madi Young NATYCCA Scholar Athlete.

"When I arrived at Butler in 1992, TC was the certified head athletic trainer," said Vice President of Student Services Bill Rinkenbaugh. "He was the only trainer that took care of all student-athletes. That, in and of itself, is amazing. He has helped numerous student-athletes become successful in their respective sports from his care for them in the training room and beyond. The success on the field carried over into the classroom with Butler teams either leading the conference or near the top of the conference on an annual basis in grade point average. He has spent the last 38 years of his life as a part of Butler athletics and I truly respect all that he has accomplished in his tenure. I wish him the best of luck in this next chapter of his life and thank him for the time he spent away from his family and dedicated that time to the success of the Grizzlies."

Carter has been heavily involved in the National Alliance of Two Year College Athletic Administrator's (NATYCAA), serving on the Executive Committee for District 5 for nearly a dozen years. He has also served on the Daktronics Cup, Scholar-Athlete Award and Sponsorship committees for NATYCAA.

For over 10 years, Carter has served on the board of the Kansas Athletic Commission, helping to regulate combat sports within the state.

He has helped continue the process of remembering Butler greats as he has overseen the Butler Athletic Hall of Fame, inducting 34 former Grizzlies since the beginning of his tenure in 2003.

Following his graduation from South Dakota State University, Carter spent the summer of 1987 working with the Kansas City Chiefs at their training camp as an athletic trainer. Other experience with NFL teams included the summer of 1992 with the Dallas Cowboys. In 1993, Carter began his four-year journey with the USA Olympics. He worked the 1993 summer in Colorado Springs at the US Olympic Training Center and summer of 1994 in St. Louis at the US Olympic Festival National baseball trials. During the summers of 1995 and 1996, he was the athletic trainer for Team USA baseball who captured the bronze medal at the Atlanta Olympic games.

Todd and his wife Denise have three children, Callie, Camden and Carly.

News surrounding Butler's next athletic director will be posted on ButlerGrizzlies.com when made available.