University of Oregon President Dave Frohnmayer announced Tuesday that he has appointed an eight-member "search team" to assist him in selecting the school's next director of athletics.
Frohnmayer said the team, headed by UO Vice President Allan Price, will be "poised for acting rapidly," with some team members - not necessarily the entire group - available to travel from Eugene to meet directly with potential candidates who do not wish to be identified publicly.
The final decision, Frohnmayer said, will be his alone. ".....
His successor, even on an interim basis, won't be Mike Bellotti, at least not as long as Bellotti also remains Oregon's football coach, Frohnmayer said.
Frohnmayer said he also has discussed the position with Vin Lananna, Oregon's director of track and field and the former athletic director at Oberlin College. "He's certainly a person of great ability," Frohnmayer said, describing their visit as "a very enjoyable, productive conversation." ....
Frohnmayer said he's looking for an athletic director who can take the athletic department to another level while addressing some immediate concerns, including the "high priority" of building a new basketball arena to replace McArthur Court; stabilizing the department's financial situation; shoring up relationships with donors; and improving the academic success of athletes. I think we already have quite a broad and promising field of candidates that others have identified for us, and that we've identified for ourselves," he said.
In addition to Price, the UO vice president for university advancement, search team members will be: law professor Michael Moffitt, chairman of the faculty advisory council and member of the intercollegiate athletics committee; English professor Suzanne Clark, co-chairwoman of the University Senate and former chairwoman of the faculty task force on intercollegiate athletics; Dan Williams, special assistant to the president for athletics and a former UO vice president with oversight of the athletic department; Melinda Grier, the university general counsel and adviser to the president on athletics; Willie Blasher Jr., a federal probation officer and former UO athlete who is a board member of the UO alumni association; Joe Gonyea II, a member of the UO Foundation board; and Dave Petrone, a board member emeritus of the UO Foundation.
Frohnmayer said he plans to have an initial meeting Friday with the team, which will identify, research and potentially talk with candidates.....
"We'll cast that net even wider, but on a very accelerated timetable to make sure we're considering the most likely and most appropriate candidates. This could be a situation ... where the committee is continuing to vet potential candidates even as I might be reaching a decision."
Frohnmayer said he remains hopeful that Oregon will have identified Moos' successor by April 1.
"Shoring up relationships with donors"...... could he be talking about Phil Knight? To read the entire news story click on the title above for a link.
