Oliver Withdrew Because Of Legal Issues

[bullwark]

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Virginia senior associate athletic director Jon Oliver, who was South Florida's first choice to be athletic director, withdrew from consideration because of legal problems more than a decade ago.

Oliver said Thursday he was charged with DUI in 1991 and cocaine possession in '92 while living in Boise, Idaho. Oliver said the DUI charge was reduced to inattentive driving, a misdemeanor, and the cocaine charge was dropped.

He also said he had business and personal liens filed in the early '90s, which he has since resolved.

Oliver was offered USF's AD job May 7 but withdrew Tuesday after consultant Chuck Neinas uncovered Oliver's legal problems. After Oliver withdrew Tuesday, USF e-mailed a contract offer to Saint Louis AD Doug Woolard, who accepted the five-year deal.

``I factored a number of things into my decision to withdraw,'' Oliver said. ``This was a major part of my decision, but it was not the only thing.

``I didn't want to subject my family to this level of scrutiny, and the University of South Florida didn't deserve that scrutiny.''

Oliver, 40, and Woolard, 54, were unanimously recommended by USF's search committee as finalists to replace Lee Roy Selmon.

``I apologize for any embarrassment this may cause the University of Virginia, its alumni and its supporters,'' Oliver said. ``That was never my intention.

``Maybe at the end of the day this is a blessing in disguise. It allows me to deal with mistakes I made in the past, and I can move on.''

In a poll conducted last week by The Tampa Tribune of USF's 13 head coaches - in which nine participated - Oliver received seven of nine votes for athletic director.

``Oliver is an impressive young man and has a good future ahead in college athletics,'' Neinas said.

[BullDoug]

Too bad for Oliver.  Young Bulls please note how youthful descretions can alter your future.

[The Sheriff]

Wow... that is all I can say. I think the $30000 that was paid was well worth it now. Imagine the crap we would have received from Knight fans if this was ever made public and he was our AD. I doubt Oliver will ever get a chance to be an AD at any school now. That will be a big push... let alone he keeps his job at UVA.

[Velcro]

Great job by Neinas in finding this info out, good thing he found it last minute.

[bulls96go]

oliver will get a chance but not at a big time bcs school

hope young men are paying attention

[Knight_Light]

Pete Young of the St Pete Times lists more info on Oliver and his mis-steps from the past:

http://www.sptimes.com/2004/05/14/Sports/Candidate_s_past_pose.shtml

Candidate's past posed problem

Jon Oliver, one of the final candidates for the USF AD job, withdrew his name after legal issues surfaced.

By PETE YOUNG, Times Staff Writer

Published May 14, 2004

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jon Oliver withdrew his name from the South Florida athletic director search after numerous legal issues, including a felony narcotics charge in 1992, came to light.

Oliver, 40, the senior associate AD at Virginia, was one of two finalists when he withdrew Tuesday. USF named Doug Woolard athletic director on Wednesday.

"There was a point early on in my life where I made some mistakes," Oliver said Thursday. "I'm not proud of those things. I wasn't convicted of anything.

"It was a less than a gram of cocaine I was arrested for. It wasn't clear who was in possession. I took responsibility for being in possession at the time of arrest."

Oliver pleaded not guilty and the charges were dropped before trial in July 1993, in Boise, Idaho, his hometown.

"I don't know the exact reasons, that was a conversation between my lawyer and the prosecutor," Oliver said.

Woolard, 54, athletic director at Saint Louis for 10 years, signed a five-year, $1.225-million deal Thursday with USF. Oliver appeared to have a good shot at the job until his withdrawal. The university had e-mailed a draft of a contract to Oliver on Friday, which the school said was part of negotiating financial terms with both finalists.

"You just assume (background checks) are taken care of ahead of time," USF booster Harold Astorquiza said. "At the same time, I'm glad it was done. I liked both guys when I met them. Things work out for a reason. Doug Woolard's going to do a great job."

Oliver said he already was strongly considering withdrawing on Tuesday when he was questioned by Chuck Neinas, USF's one-man AD search firm, about his past.

"There were a number of factors that went into me not pursuing the position; I have a young family, that was a major part," said Oliver, who has children ages 4 and 11 months. "There was never a job offer. That is not how it happened."

Speaking with Neinas convinced Oliver to stay at Virginia.

"I was not willing to expose my family to any (scrutiny of his past)," Oliver said."

USF spokeswoman Michelle Carlyon said school president Judy Genshaft was unavailable for comment. Vice president for advancement Michael Rierson did not return phone calls.

"We asked our consultant, Chuck Neinas, to undertake due diligence with the candidates," Carlyon said. "(Neinas) called Jon Oliver to discuss some questions that arose, and Oliver withdrew at that time for personal reasons."

Oliver, who played basketball at Boise State in the mid 1980s but did not graduate until 1994, incurred two driving-related misdemeanors in 1991, according to Ada (Idaho) County records. A DUI charge was amended to inattentive driving, and he was placed on probation and his license was suspended for a year. A few months later he incurred a probation violation.

Oliver also had three liens against him, records show. Two were state tax liens, in 1989 and 1993. Records indicate the first was satisfied in 1991 but were unclear on the second, which was brought against one of Oliver's businesses, the Culture Shop. He said it also has been satisfied.

The third was a federal tax lien in 1992 that was satisfied in 2002. "I've taken care of all of those liens," said Oliver, who also filed for bankruptcy in 1993, records show.

Oliver's legal problems didn't prevent him from rapidly rising at Washington State. Hired as a compliance intern at WSU in 1995 while in law school at Idaho, Oliver was promoted four times until he was hired by Virginia AD Craig Littlepage in 2001.

He has been in charge of day-to-day operations at Virginia and generally is regarded as Littlepage's No. 2 man.

Virginia spokeswoman Carol Wood said Oliver has been a good employee and would remain at his job. She did not know if the school was aware of his past before this week.

"(Littlepage) and Leonard Sandridge, executive vice president for the university, they both have been fully briefed by Jon," Wood said. "The university continues to have full confidence in him. Jon has been candid about these things, and that was a long time ago."

Neinas, whose firm was contracted by USF for $30,000, said he did due diligence on all of the candidates and maintains confidentiality.

"Jon Oliver is an impressive young man, and I think he has a great future in college athletics," Neinas said.

- Times research librarian Cathy Wos contributed to this report.

[bulldad]

I  swear to god she told me she was 16.

[mattegunz]

I feel bad for the guy because we have all made mistakes.  However, the negative pub we would have gotten would be horrible and we made the right decision.  Hopefully the guy doesn't get canned because of this.  I don't think he will ever get a big job now that this has come out front and center.

[BullDoug]

If Oliver is truly a quality guy he will get a chance but he'll probably hafta to go to a D1AA school first to be an AD then step back up to D1A 5-8 yrs later.

[Guest S.  Bien]

the DUI arrest isn't as troubling as everything that was compounded.  If was just that stop its one thing, but three liens, bankrupcy, and probation violation to go with a drug possession arrest- which you can spin it about getting the charges dropped, but he was still in possession of the cocaine.  

There is just too much there to ignore, one maybe two, but that was tough.

Oliver was a good guy, and its unfortunate but at least he's taking it like a man, not making excuses or pointing fingers.  That to me illustrates good character, and in due time, assuming he keeps his nose clean, he will move up the college athletic ranks.  Just not now, not at 40, and so close to all these troubles.  Give him 5-6 more years of proving himself.  His troubled past prevented him from becoming a diaper dandy AD.