After 41 years of devoted service, DeLaSalle High School President Barry Lieske officially retired on June 29. 

The Minneapolis school shared a timeline of Lieske's career on its Facebook page and has a page dedicated to the former coach and principal on its website.

Lieske was the longest-employed individual at the school, having begun as the coach of the girls basketball program in 1979 and helping them win their first district championship game. He was also the football coach from 1980 to 1995 and led the team to back-to-back district championships in 1989 and 1990. In '90, in fact, the team made it all the way to the state finals. 

Lieske joined DLS in 1979. | https://delasalle.com/lieske/

In 1993, Lieske was promoted to school principal, where he served alongside Brother Michael Collins for 19 years in administration. Lieske was responsible for all the recommendations for new hires in the areas of campus ministry, guidance, athletics, activities, programming and facilities.

Between the years of 2000 and 2003, Lieske was the manager for the Albers Atrium construction and the addition of the LL Gray gymnasium, and from 2007 to 2009 he served as the project manager for construction of the new athletic field. He also served two terms for the Minnesota Independent Schools Forum’s Board of Directors. 

In 2012, Lieske was named the interim president after Brother Collins died in January of that year. From 2012 to 2020, DeLaSalle raised more money than it did over any other 8-year-span in the school’s history. As a result of the fiscal improvement, DLS's enrollment increased by 25%. 

Dr. Bryan Bass was elected to succeed Lieske when his plans for retirement were first announced in 2019. 

“We are grateful for Barry’s dedication to the school and his leadership positioning us to provide a relevant, practical and faithful education to our students,” DeLaSalle High School said in its Facebook post. “Barry and his wife Barb, DLS '78, will retire to a hobby farm they have built outside of St. Joseph. We wish Barry and Barb a happy retirement!”