Committee announced for athletics director search
The search is on.
Utah State University officially began looking for a new athletic director last Wednesday with the formation of a committee that will make recommendations to USU President Kermit L. Hall.
The committee will conduct a search to collect a pool of candidates through advertising and asking people to apply, Hall said.
Chairing the seven-member committee will be USU faculty athletic representative Kenneth White. Other members include Jimi Jorgensen, Associated Students of USU athletic vice president; Raegan Pebley, women’s basketball coach; Dan Cox, Big Blue Club president; Jodi Bailey, director of internal audits; Randy Talbot, vice president for Advancement; and Phil Olsen, former USU football player, graduate and businessman who played in the NFL.
The position became open when former athletic director Rance Pugmire resigned in early April.
Pugmire had been placed on paid suspension Feb. 19 by the university after being charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. After resigning, Pugmire pleaded guilty to a lesser misdemeanor charge of alcohol-related reckless driving.
The search committee is in the process of developing a Web site to request student and faculty input on the selection of the new director, including which qualities students feel are most important in an athletic director. While the site is not yet complete, it will be accessible from the university’s Web site once finished.
About a dozen applications have already been received, Hall said, while the committee will also seek nominations from athletic conferences like the Sun Belt.
Hall said there is not one singular quality he looks for in an athletic director but rather a “constellation” of abilities.
“I’m not looking for one variable,” he said. “[The new athletic director] needs to have embedded inside them qualities such as integrity and the ability to manage a budget. We need someone who has experience with football and football operations. We need someone who has experience with fundraising and community relations. We need someone who is very respectful of academics and the academic success of student athletes. We need someone who can work successfully with our coaches.”
Hall anticipates a pool of up to 40 people will be gathered in the next month to six weeks. Then it will be narrowed down to approximately 10 candidates, and Hall said he hopes a decision can be made by mid-June.
Hall, who is himself in the process of interviewing for a job as president of the University of Tennessee, would not comment on the likelihood of someone else making the final decision.
“I can’t speculate on that,” Hall said. “No one’s offered me a job. My business at the moment is to take care of Utah State University and be the best president that I can, and that’s what I’m doing.”
The new president of the University of Tennessee is expected to take office by July 1.
-royburton@cc.usu.edu