The search for East Carolina’s next athletic director finally began Thursday with the announcement of a 13-member committee whose job it is, in the words of chancellor Cecil Staton, “to bring on board an AD who will lead Pirate athletics into a new era.”

This is welcome news and long overdue, considering that the athletic program has been in a virtual state of limbo since the contentious tenure of former AD Jeff Compher came to an end going on seven months ago.

Because of the timing, it’s doubtful that the committee will be able to complete the task of identifying, vetting, interviewing and hiring a new leader before the end of the current football season. That means, unless Staton’s special assistant Dave Hart decides to stay on past his current temporary assignment, coach Scottie Montgomery is virtually assured of coming back for a fourth season.

Hart would, in fact, be the best man for the job considering his history at ECU and the updated knowledge he’s gained into the inner workings of the school’s culture during his “deep dive” into all facets of the program.

His inclusion on the search committee, however, would seem to rule him out as a possible candidate.

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The other 12 members of the committee are Staton, baseball coach Cliff Godwin, business professor Cal Christian, vice-chancellor for administration and finance Sara Thorndyke, Faculty Senate chairman Jeff Popke, senior associate athletic director for internal operations J.J. McLamb, former senior associate athletic director Rosie Thompson, associate provost for equity and diversity LaKesha Forbes, Board of Trustees member Mark Copeland, BOT chairman Vern Davenport, Pirate Club president Tim Martin and Pirate Club past president Cal Rogers.

It’s a group of talented people that have a lot on their plate over the news few weeks (and perhaps months).

So to help speed up the process, here are a few suggestions (in no particular order) on who should be at or near the top of the list as the best fits to lead ECU into its new era:

• Lee Workman: The Pirates’ associate athletic director for administration and chief financial officer, Workman is the most likely candidate should the committee decide to stay in house. He’s also the most logical alternative to Hart because of his long-standing relationship with the former ECU AD and his contribution in Hart’s ongoing review of the program.
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  Workman came to ECU as an intern in 1984 and has held a number of different positions on his way up the administrative ladder — including marketing director, assistant AD for special events and tickets sales, assistant AD for promotions. He’s been asked to handle everything from fan engagement at sports events, bowl game and postseason logistics, and ticketing to coordinating the school’s athletic Hall of Fame and leading the Pirates’ recent rebranding effort.
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  Workman has stated on numerous occasions that he and Hart share similar philosophies when it comes to running an athletic program. No one currently on staff, including Hart, knows or cares about ECU more.
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• Jimmy Bass: Currently the AD at UNC-Wilmington, Bass has strong ties to ECU as its assistant AD for marketing under Hart from 1989-94, then again from 2006-10 as the assistant AD for external operations. He has also spent time at Davidson, Pittsburgh, Mississippi State and N.C. State, where as the second in command of the Wolfpack Club, he directed the strategic planning and execution of a five-year campaign that raised more than $60 million for expansion and improvement to Carter-Finley Stadium.
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  At UNCW, Bass has directed a program that has thrived both financially and on the field of play. He is credited with restructuring the school’s fundraising effort, which helped pay for renovations to Trask Coliseum. Since his arrival in 2010, the Seahawks have won 19 CAA championships and have been ranked nationally in baseball, men’s basketball and men’s soccer.
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  After eight years in Wilmington, Bass might not be interested in pulling up his roots and starting another new job. But he would be at least worth a phone call to find out.
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• Scott Wetherbee: Another potential candidate with ECU ties, Wetherbee was the Pirates’ director of marketing and ticket operations before leaving in 2013 to become the associate AD for external operations at Mississippi State. He eventually became the interim AD there before moving to his home state to lead the program at Eastern Michigan two years ago.
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  The Eagles won the Reese Trophy, awarded to the top men’s athletic program in the Mid-American Conference in his first full year on the job. But his short tenure hasn’t been all smooth sailing. Because of budgetary issues that began before his arrival, EMU eliminated its wrestling, men’s swimming and diving, women’s tennis and softball teams during his watch.
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  After the cuts were announced, Wetherbee told the Detroit News, “In hindsight, maybe I would pass on this (job) to not have to go through this.” So he might be inclined to make a move if the right one came along.
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• Charles Bloom: Bloom was ECU’s sports information director during Hart’s first tenure before taking a job in the SEC office in 1995. He spent 17 years as the conference’s media and public relations director, eventually being promoted to the role of associate commissioner.
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  Since 2012, he has been at South Carolina, his alma mater, where he is the senior associate athletic director for external affairs. As the senior advisor to AD Ray Tanner, his duties include overseeing the Gamecocks’ media relations operation, ticket office and campus SEC Network operations, as well as serving as sport administrator for softball.
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  The next logical step in his career is to become an athletic director in charge of his own program.
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• Charlie Cobb: A graduate of N.C. State and the former AD at Appalachian State, Cobb is in his fifth year as the AD at Georgia State, where his program has undergone incredible growth — including the acquisition, purchase and repurposing of the Atlanta Braves’ Turner Field into the Panthers new football stadium.
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  He knows football, having played for the Wolfpack. He also recognizes coaching talent, having hired former Mountaineers assistant Shawn Elliott — who has led GSU to the first two FBC bowl games in program history. Off the field, the Panthers’ have twice won the Sun Belt Conference institutional graduate award, with their athletes maintaining at least a cumulative 3.0 GPA in every year of his tenure.
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  While Cobb is firmly established in Atlanta, perhaps the lure of a new challenge and a return to North Carolina might be enough to convince him to leave.
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• Brad Edwards: Edwards has no ties to ECU, but he has a strong background in both football and fundraising. He’s also a charismatic, young North Carolina native who is a rising star in athletic administration.
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  The former NFL defensive back, who earned a Super Bowl ring with the Washington Redskins, is currently the athletic director at George Mason, where he has helped secure more than $20 million in new revenue through sponsorship agreements, a new equipment and apparel deal with Adidas and $5.8 million in gifts from booster club members.
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  A certified financial planner from Fayetteville, Edwards has also been the AD at Newberry and Jacksonville. Edwards began his administrative career at his alma mater, South Carolina, where he is a member of the school’s athletic Hall of Fame. As the athletic department’s chief financial officer, he oversaw a period of growth in which the Gamecocks’ annual revenue grew from more than $28 million to more than $52 million.
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  As successful as he’s been at GMU, Edwards is anxious to move on to a school with a big-time football program, and ECU could be the perfect match.
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• Dick Christy: If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Christy’s grandfather and namesake was an All-American halfback at N.C. State in the 1950s. This version has been the AD at UNC-Pembroke since 2013, after spending the previous 13 years as the Wolfpack’s associate AD for external relations.
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  Under his direction, UNCP has recorded its best performance in school history, with five conference championships and 13 appearances in the NCAA postseason. His success isn’t limited to the playing field, with athletic revenues increasing by 300 percent during his tenure. That money has helped finance facilities improvements in four sports. Christy has also hired head coaches in five sports since his arrival with the Braves, four of which have led their team to NCAA postseason appearances.
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  His hire would be something of a risk, since it’s a big jump from a Division II program to ECU, but with his name, his vibrant personality and impressive resume, Christy has the potential to energize a fan base in need of jolt.

According to the release announcing its formation, the search committee will begin meeting sometime early next month.

“This is an outstanding opportunity for an AD who wants to work with engaged, high-energy alumni who are eager to supporting a winning program,” ECU Board of Trustees member Kieran Shanahan said in the statement.

There should no shortage of qualified candidates available, including those mentioned here.

But if all else fails, there’s always Dave Hart.

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