Flashback to April 2001: USF searches for an AD

April 27, 2004

USF seeks a lot of input on AD

Apr 20, 2001

ANTONYA ENGLISH. St. Petersburg Times.

South Florida on Thursday began preliminary steps toward selecting an athletic director, convening a cross-section of faculty, staff and other campus representatives to help in the preselection process.

USF President Judy Genshaft has hired Carr Sports Associates, a sports consulting firm, to help develop a profile by which prospective candidates will be measured. The firm also will supply a list of potential candidates from its job data bank.

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"We have put together a group of people across campus to work with the consultant, and what we're doing now is pulling together this packet of information that we will give to Carr," said Michael Reich, USF intermim director of media relations...

May 4, 2001

Despite allegations of racism in South Florida's women's basketball program and months of negative publicity about the athletic department, the person in charge of helping shape the school's search for an athletic director said Thursday that USF still can lure top-notch candidates.

"I think the University of South Florida, when it does get its search (under way), will be attractive to good candidates," said Bill Carr of Carr Sports Associates Inc., a consulting firm. "I think they will bring a good person forward in their final selection. This program has a lot to offer and will be very attractive to a lot of people."

Over the past three days, Carr Sports Associates interviewed more than 200 people to help put together guidelines for what type of person the next athletic director should be. Those interviewed included USF coaches, athletes, support staff, athletic and academic administrators, off-campus program supporters and athletic association members.

"I sense a great deal of excitement and enthusiasm of the program from the people we've talked to," Carr said.

"I think we've had a broad constituency of people that we've had to interact with," Carr said. "We're trying to gain their perspectives on what the athletic program is going to face in the next five to seven years. What are the critical issues that loom on the horizon of the program? Those critical issues will shape the skill set and experiences that will be appropriate for the next athletics director. Developing that profile is the first step."