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Brakes applied on AD saga
Bonesville.net Staff Report
�2004 Bonesville.net
What appeared to be the
imminent hiring of an athletic director at East Carolina has screeched to an
abrupt stop. Incoming Chancellor Steve Ballard said Monday that he will keep
the AD search process open while gathering more input.
"This is obviously a critical
decision," said Ballard, who has made several trips to Greenville, and who
will officially assume office May 31.
"I have interviewed a number
of people and studied exhaustive reports on ECU athletics," he said. "But I
need time for all university constituencies to have input on this
appointment, and the search will remain open until that process is
completed. Meanwhile, I will continue to evaluate candidates."
Ballard earlier had set a
target of May 19 for naming a new AD to succeed Mike Hamrick, who left ECU
last August for a similar position with the University of Nevada at Las
Vegas.
News reports surfaced Friday and
Saturday that Ballard had decided to hire 31-year-old Oklahoma associate AD
Rick Hart, the son of former ECU AD Dave Hart, Jr.
Hart's young age and his
modest portfolio of experience and qualifications, along with the fact that
he was not among the three candidates whose names were recommended to
Ballard by the AD search committee, led to criticism of Ballard's reported
choice
in the media and elsewhere.
Ballard's move to push back
the hiring date and reopen the search and evaluation process is likely to
defuse that criticism.
"I appreciate the input I have
received so far," Ballard said. "I recognize the great interest, commitment
and passion for Pirate athletics. Although I am new to ECU, I share this
passion, and I am committed to excellence in our programs."
Senior associate AD Nick
Floyd, one of the finalists recommended by the search panel, has served as
interim AD since Hamrick's resignation. He withdrew his name for
consideration for the AD post on Friday, apparently in the belief that
Ballard was poised to hire Hart.
Floyd
has indicated he will not formally resubmit his name in the pool of
candidates but would welcome an opportunity to be considered for the job.
The other finalists were ECU
alum and South Carolina associate AD Jeff Barber and Col. Randy Spetman, who
retired last fall as AD at the Air Force Academy.
A telephone conference call
meeting of the ECU Board of Trustees, scheduled for Wednesday in connection
with the search, has been canceled.
Copyright 2004
Bonesville.net. All rights reserved. This material may not be
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02/23/2007 11:47:52 AM
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