McElroy retiring...Effective June 30...

[Clickclack]

wow...

[Clickclack]

Per Mark Singelais twitter...huge change at the top of the department. He's done very well building this program up, wish him nothing but the best of luck. He was instrumental in building this program to where it is today and while at times he seemed slow in making changes (stadium dragging on) in the end he steered this department the right way, with the utmost class and put us in position to succeed.

 

Many thanks!

[danefan]

Leanne Wirkulla named as interim AD.

 

Telling that no one inside the department. I'd expect a full regime change.

 

Wirkulla is Dr Jones chief of staff and a former colleague from Minnesota. She was head of Athletic Marketing at one point there.

Edited June 16, 2014 by danefan

[UA'08]

That is definitely big news. Let's see who will come in and where the direction of athletics will continue to go.

[Michigan_Dane]

Any thoughts on a timeline to backfill? Will this be filled this year or will this drag out?

[Phoenix]

or will this drag out?

 

I care more about getting the right candidate than trying to make sure a hire is made before an arbitrary deadline. This is the school's first Athletic Director hire as a true Division I program. Wirkkula looks to have the experience to keep the ship moving in the interim.

[madDOG]

I have to think we're in a very good position to hire a quality replacement. What other AD jobs are open in the east?

[Dane Pound]

McElroy was the guy we needed and at the right time to put us on track to where we are now. Many times I looked at Joel Thirer at Bing and Captain Self-Promotion at SBU and was happy to have Dr. McElroy who seemed to quietly go about business. Glad he's staying on in some capacity. With both Coach Ford and McElroy still involved with the University I'd like to see them both part of the search process for a new AD.

[danefan]

I'd like to see an AD with major college football experience. Assoc AD at a P5 school. Someone that knows now to run a stadium and market an athletic department.

 

 

[UA'08]

Would this be considered a desirable job to associate AD from a P5?

[Clickclack]

Don't have access to twitter at the moment but...Singelais asked Dr. McElroy to describe his working relationship with President Jones, "You'd have to ask him that"...just going to park this here...

Edited June 16, 2014 by Clickclack

[danefan]

Would this be considered a desirable job to associate AD from a P5?

 

Depends on how Jones sells it.

[Dane Pound]

Would this be considered a desirable job to associate AD from a P5?

 

Depends on how Jones sells it.

 

Certainly possible. Milt Richards (the AD before McElroy and Bob Ford) was from Temple and Kansas State. Not that he's necessarily an example of what we'd like from a future AD.

[UAalum72]

How does the pay scale for our AD compare to assistant ADs at P5 programs? Is it like how assistant coaches at P5 are paid more than our head coaches, or are administrators in the same ballpark as us?

 

edit: The T-U story says McElroy was paid almost $280K

Edited June 17, 2014 by UAalum72

[UAalum72]

I have to think we're in a very good position to hire a quality replacement. What other AD jobs are open in the east?

Not in the east (and I don't think geography would be an overriding factor for most candidates) but the North Dakota State AD just resigned for a deputy director of athletics post at Iowa. Have to think the FCS champion of the top university in a suddenly-oil-rich state is a more attractive job than Albany.

 

Other openings currently listed at the Nat'l. Assoc. of Collegiate Directors of Athletics:

Date Posted Institution Job Title

6/12/14 Western State Colorado University Director of Athletics

6/12/14 Chicago State University Director of Intercollegiate Athletics

6/11/14 University of California, Berkeley Director of Student Athlete Academic Development

6/7/14 Bowie State University Director of Intercollegiate Athletics

6/6/14 Mansfield University Director of Athletics

5/28/14 William Jessup University Athletic Director

 

http://www.nacda.com/nacdajobs/nacda-nacdajobs-athleticsdirector.html