A Legacy of Faith, Formation, and Lasting Impact: Honoring Gary Bailey

This week, Kuyper College offers heartfelt gratitude as Athletic Director Gary Bailey announces his retirement. While Gary’s career includes remarkable accomplishments, championships, and national recognition, his enduring legacy is not defined by records or trophies. Instead, it is measured in lives shaped, character formed, and a Christ-centered athletic culture thoughtfully built.

When Kuyper College announced the reinstatement of intercollegiate athletics and its membership in the National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association (NCCAA), the moment called for more than technical expertise. It required leadership grounded in faith, educational purpose, and vision. In appointing Gary Bailey as Athletic Director, Kuyper found a leader uniquely equipped for that calling.

As an NCCAA Hall of Fame coach, Gary has led teams that competed at the highest levels of Christian collegiate athletics, earning multiple national championships and consistent tournament appearances. Yet from the outset, Gary made clear that athletics, at its best, is an extension of education—an instructive tool for teaching discipline, integrity, teamwork, and faith.

Gary often shares that he never planned a career in coaching. He once envisioned becoming an architect. But God redirected his path through an unexpected opportunity early in his professional life—one that placed him in a coaching role and revealed a deeper calling. That moment became the foundation for decades of mentoring young people through sport.

At Kuyper, Gary helped lay the groundwork for an athletic program intentionally aligned with the College’s mission as a Christ-centered Work College. Athletics was placed under academic oversight, reinforcing the conviction that learning inside and outside the classroom belongs together. For Gary, sport was never separate from scholarship, work, or spiritual formation—it was a living expression of all three.

He consistently emphasized properly ordered priorities. Academic responsibility, work commitments, personal integrity, and faithfulness were non-negotiable. Wearing a Kuyper uniform meant committing to a way of life that reflected honor, accountability, and service—on and off the court.

Gary has often said that when he stands before God, he will not be asked about wins or championships, but about the people he influenced for Christ. By that measure, his career has been richly fruitful. Former student-athletes—now leaders, professionals, spouses, parents, and servants in their communities—stand as the clearest testimony to his impact.

During his time at Kuyper, Gary did more than launch teams. He cultivated a culture. With patience and care, he helped build a program rooted in faith, excellence, and community—one that energized campus life, expanded opportunities for students, and strengthened Kuyper’s holistic approach to education.

As Gary Bailey plans for his final day at Kuyper College – June 30th, the school celebrates a legacy defined not by numbers, but by purpose. We give thanks for his faithful leadership, his commitment to mentoring young people, and his unwavering belief that athletics can be a powerful force for formation when anchored in Christ.

President Harris praised Bailey’s legacy, stating, “Gary’s leadership reflects the heart of Kuyper College: servant-minded, mission-driven, and deeply invested in students. His impact will be felt for years to come, not only through the program’s achievements but through the lives he has shaped.”