Chad Gabbard joined the Butler Athletics staff in June of 2025 in the role of Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Health, Performance and Well-Being.
In this role, Gabbard coordinates all health care activities for Butler's teams and student-athletes. While serving as a member of the department’s senior leadership team, Gabbard oversees Butler's areas of sports medicine, strength and conditioning, and mental health, in addition to the department's partner physicians, dietitians and sports psychologists.
Gabbard is a 1995 Butler graduate with a degree in athletic training and was a member of the men’s soccer program during his undergraduate time on campus. He later earned a master’s degree in sports management from Northern Illinois University.
Gabbard arrived at Butler after most recently serving as St. Vincent Sports Performance’s manager of event medical management and outreach. As part of his role, he was responsible for hiring, supporting and evaluating all certified athletic trainers who were assigned by SVSP to outreach locations, such as local universities and high schools. He also fostered partnerships with organizations, businesses and the sports community to provide SVSP services to those entities, such as USA Football and Indiana Sports Corp events.
Through his work with St. Vincent Sports Performance, Gabbard previously served as the head athletic trainer for Marian University (2009-12) and Carmel High School (2004-09). He has additional college athletics experience from athletic training positions at the University of Wisconsin (2001-04) and Northern Illinois (1997-99). While working with Athletico Sports Medicine, Gabbard served in athletic training positions with the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer and Bishop Fenwick High School in Illinois (1999-01).
