Shama: Gopher AD List May Include Hawkeye

BleedGopher

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per Shama:

A lot of names are being mentioned as candidates to become the Gophers’ next athletics director but one drawing minimal speculation is Gene Taylor, the No. 2 leader in the Iowa Hawkeyes Athletic Department.

Taylor was athletics director at North Dakota State for 13 years prior to joining the Hawkeyes in 2014. Taylor, 58, helped put in place the Bison football program that is working on a run of five consecutive FCS national championships.

Taylor has an extensive background in athletics administration dating back to his first job at the United States Naval Academy. His career commitment to female and male athletes, involvement with funding to improve facilities, success with football, and his understanding of this geographic region should resonate with Turnkey Search, the firm retained by the University of Minnesota to identify and vet candidates.

Multiple sources report Turnkey is interviewing candidates this week in the Midwest and East. One source told Sports Headliners over a dozen candidates will be interviewed in the first round of talks. Eventually Turnkey will vet those who the firm believes are the best candidates and bring those names to a 16-person search committee of volunteers headed by co-chairs Katrice Albert and Perry Leo. Albert is the University’s vice president for equity and diversity. Leo is professor of aerospace engineering and the U faculty athletics representative.

http://shamasportsheadliners.com/

Go Gophers!!
 

Considering an AD candidate who has had a hand in building athletics programs at Iowa and NDSU should provide at least three pages of interesting opinions in this thread.
 

As long as we don't get ourselves into a Kirk Ferentz kinda contract.... (although if he can eek out a B1G championship with the championship game it might be worth it).
 

Obviously, Taylor has a strong NDSU resume. However, he has been at Iowa for about a year and a half and, as noted on the basketball thread, his name is at least peripherally attached to the ongoing Iowa gender equity battle. I understand why he wants out of Iowa City; but the selection committee would easily compile at least three pages of questions regarding Taylor.
 

Sounds like someone we should take a close look at.
 



Is being the #2 guy at a school like Iowa better than being the AD at a school like NDSU? A little weird that he left for an assistant job.
 

Is being the #2 guy at a school like Iowa better than being the AD at a school like NDSU? A little weird that he left for an assistant job.

I guess the question is if you'd rather be the second in command for a $106 MM budget or the boss for a $22 MM budget?
 





I guess the question is if you'd rather be the second in command for a $106 MM budget or the boss for a $22 MM budget?

The answer likely depends more on the salary of each job.
 


Taylor made $230,000 at NDSU and $245,000 at Iowa (his second year would be $260,000) to this article. According to a Gazette article, the $245,000 was $75,600 over the maximum pay allowed for his job classification at Iowa.

http://www.inforum.com/content/gene-taylor-make-245k-first-year-iowa

http://www.thegazette.com/subject/n...iversity-of-iowa-salaries-questioned-20141213

Thanks. Could show why he was willing to move to an assistant job. Follow the $.
 




Is being the #2 guy at a school like Iowa better than being the AD at a school like NDSU? A little weird that he left for an assistant job.

To me, it's not unlike trying to figure out if you're better positioned to be a head coach at a P5 school if you're a successful head coach at a smaller school versus being a successful assistant at a larger school. Both ways can work. My guess is the Iowa job paid better as well.
 

I guess the question is if you'd rather be the second in command for a $106 MM budget or the boss for a $22 MM budget?

Good point. I would just think that if he wants to be an AD at a Big Ten type of school, he would have moved on to a MAC or Sun Belt type of school.
 




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