©2003 Bonesville.net

University of North Carolina system president Molly Broad probably made the best possible appointment of an interim chancellor in terms of East Carolina’s athletics interests when she named Dr. William Shelton on Thursday to bridge the gap between Dr. William Muse and a permanent replacement.

At a time when ECU wants the best possible conference affiliation, Shelton is the best man. As ECU’s vice chancellor for university advancement, Shelton’s responsibilities have included overseeing athletics operations. He was brought in by Muse in July and given responsibility of monitoring the potential league affiliation situation.

“My responsibility is to ensure that whatever the league affiliation, it is in the best interest of East Carolina,” Shelton said. “That includes not only the possibility of the Big East or the ACC, but Conference USA also, because as current members we have a vested interest there.”

Shelton said he has heard nothing official from the Big East at this point and no news may be good news. Memphis media has reported that the Tigers have been told by Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese that they will not be considered as prospective members.

Shelton received undergraduate and master’s degrees in history from Memphis. His doctorate in higher education administration is from Ole Miss. His career in college administration includes a stop at Henderson State University in Arkansas, where he was also a sportscaster, “the voice of the Reddies.” Coincidently, he called games at Henderson State when Cincinnati coach Rick Minter and ECU offensive line coach J.B. Grimes were playing there.

“I certainly did enjoy that,” Shelton said. “At that point in my career I had to do something to supplement my career in education administration.”

Shelton typically did one game a year as a guest color commentator when he moved on to be vice president of institutional advancement at Kent State. During his 11 years as president at Eastern Michigan, from which he retired in 2000, Shelton spent seven years on the NCAA’s presidents commission. He served as chairman of the NCAA committee on sportsmanship and ethical conduct. He was president of the Mid-American Conference in 1995.

James Talton, chairman of the ECU board of trustees, endorsed Shelton’s appointment from an athletics perspective.

“He’s been immersed in athletics at East Carolina,” Talton said. “I feel very good about his leadership.”

Dr. Muse had planned to initiate the search for an athletics director after football season, reasoning that the pool of candidates might be better at that time. Talton has indicated his feeling that the sooner, the better in terms of filling the position on a permanent basis.

“I haven’t spoken with Dr. Shelton about it,” Talton said. “It is my hope that he would share most of the board’s view in favor of bringing some permanency in the near term to the athletics director’s position. ... I do feel it has a degree of urgency. There are a lot of things going on right now with the Big East and Conference USA.

“At the same time I have a high degree of confidence in Nick Floyd. He’s an experienced trooper and I’m sure he’ll do an outstanding job.”

Floyd, senior associate AD at ECU, was appointed interim AD by Muse when Mike Hamrick accepted the AD job at Nevada-Las Vegas in August.

Former ECU AD Mike Hamrick has bought a house in Las Vegas and sold his house in Greenville but has been living in a hotel temporarily as he settles in to his new responsibilities at UNLV.

“I’m enjoying it very much,” Hamrick said this week. “I’ve got outstanding coaches to work with. John Robinson, our football coach, is just an outstanding class act. He has opened up his arms to me. He was the athletics director before me and he’s been wonderful to work with in this transition.

“He’ll go anywhere anytime I need him and — knock on wood — I think we have a pretty good team.

“I’ve got an excellent contract and we have excellent facilities.”

UNLV has seating for about 19,000 for basketball and about 40,000 for football.

The Rebels are coming off a stunning 23-5 football win at Wisconsin, which put them at 2-1 with a home game tonight — yes, Friday night — against Hawaii. It’s UNLV’s second Friday night game this season, although the television contracts for those games were done before Hamrick arrived.

“It doesn’t seem to be an issue here,” said Hamrick, who was inundated with controversy when he agreed to play Cincinnati on Friday night, Dec. 6, last season to accommodate ESPN and Conference USA. Hamrick had taken a stance against Friday night games which conflicted with high school football a year earlier.

Speaking of high school football, Hamrick’s son, Brett, has already earned positions as a two-way starter for Coronado High School in Las Vegas at strong safety and wide receiver. Hamrick’s wife, Soletta, and his three children have been in Las Vegas for about two weeks.

Hamrick is aware of the difficulties at ECU with the football team’s 0-3 start and Muse’s resignation.

“It’s very unfortunate,” Hamrick said. “There are just so many wonderful people and the place has so much potential. The place was good to me. It was a great 8 1/2 years of my life.”

ECU men’s basketball coach Bill Herrion said he expects the 2003-04 schedule to be announced next week, possibly on Monday.

“Nick Floyd had to mail back one of the contracts,” he explained.

In addition to matchups already announced, East Carolina will be playing the Seton Hall Pirates in the Meadowlands on Dec. 6, and Virginia Tech on a neutral floor at Old Dominion on Dec. 27. There will be one Division II opponent, UNC Pembroke.

“I think playing some Big East people could be helpful right now considering our situation with conference affiliation,” Herrion said.