Former Buster Football Coach Succumbs to Cancer Battle
Head Football Coach Brian McNeely Coached 1983-87 For The Busters
Garden City, KS-Former Broncbuster Football Coaching Legend Brian McNeely passed away Saturday May, 2nd at his home in Denver, CO. Coach McNeely was diagnosed a year ago with cardiac angion sarcoma, a rare cancer.
Pat Veesert received word from Brian's Wife Elaine Mcneely that he had passed away early Saturday morning.
McNeely completed his undergraduate work at Wichita State University in Kansas and earned his master's degree in sports management at the United States Sports Academy in Daphne, AL. He began his coaching career at Butler County Community college in 1978-79 as an assistant coach and as a head coach from 1982-84.
McNeely has also coached at Pratt Community College (1981), University of Kansas (1985), Garden City Community College where he served as the head football coach and Assistant Dean of Admissions from 1986-91. He then roamed the sidelines as Idaho State University's Head Coach from 1992-96.
A move from an educational environment to a non-for profit then followed when he began fundraising and served as the director for Fellowship of Christian Athletics (1998-99). He returned to college athletics on a full-time basis in 2000 when he served as the University of Colorado's director of football operations/recruiting and later among the coaching ranks at Indiana University where he served as the assistant head football coach and recruiting coordinator from 2002-04.
Over 50 of McNeely's former football players have played in the NFL.
In a message sent to Pat Veesart from Brian's wife, Elaine, describing his last year. "I'll always remember Brian had that "blonde-haired surfer look". He grew up in Coldwater, Ks. so was really a product of SW Kansas".