University of Minnesota announces search committee and search firm for Gopher AD

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University of Minnesota announces search committee and search firm for Gopher athletics director search

Per U of MN: http://discover.umn.edu/news/vision...unces-search-committee-and-search-firm-gopher

A 16-member search committee was named today by University of Minnesota President Eric W. Kaler to conduct a national search for the next director of Golden Gopher Athletics.

“The search for our next athletics director must bring our community together, and we have assembled a strong, diverse search committee to do that,” said Kaler. “Gopher Athletics must reflect the overall excellence of the University, and I’m confident this search will produce candidates with integrity and a record of success.”

Katrice Albert, the University’s vice president for equity and diversity, and Perry Leo, professor of aerospace engineering and faculty athletics representative, will co-chair the search committee.

The other members of the search committee reflect many stakeholder groups that are critical to Gopher Athletics’ success. They include the following faculty members, a head coach, a current student-athlete, former student-athletes, business people and community members:

Duke Anyanwu - Gopher student-athlete; Member, Advisory Committee on Athletics
Shari Ballard - President of U.S. Retail, Best Buy Corporation; Trustee, University of Minnesota Foundation
Jeremiah Carter - Director of Athletic Compliance; former Gopher student-athlete
Kevin Cattoor - Chief Operating Officer, Foodsby; Former Executive Vice President, Minnesota Twins
Bob Cunningham - Chief Executive Officer, Tri-County Implement; Member, President’s Club, University of Minnesota Foundation
Marty Davis - President & Chief Executive Officer, Cambria: Member, Intercollegiate Athletics Leadership Council
Emily Hoover - Professor of Horticulture; Faculty Athletics Representative
Lisa Kihl - Associate Professor of Kinesiology; Chair, sub-committee on Equity and Diversity, Advisory Committee on Athletics
Lisa Lissimore - Associate Director, Minnesota State High School League; Former Gopher student-athlete
Hugh McCutcheon - Head Coach, Golden Gopher Volleyball
Deborah Olson - CEO & Chair, Nelson Laboratories (retired); Member, Intercollegiate Athletics Leadership Council
Darrell Thompson - President, Bolder Options; Former Gopher student-athlete
Tom Vannelli - Director of Corporate Sales & Marketing, 3M Championship; Former Gopher student-athlete
Kevin Warren - Chief Operating Officer, Minnesota Vikings; Trustee, University of Minnesota Foundation
To assist with the search, nationally-recognized Turnkey Search has been retained. Turnkey Search, based in Haddonfield, N.J., is a subsidiary of Turnkey Sports and Entertainment. The lead consultants for this search will be Turnkey founder and CEO Len Perna and Senior Executive Director Gene DeFilippo, who is also the former athletics director at Boston College and Villanova. The firm was selected through an open competitive bidding process and will be paid a flat fee of $150,000 plus expenses. Turnkey’s recent comparable searches include the University of Michigan Athletics Director and Georgetown University Athletics Director.

“More than anything, this search must surface the highest quality candidates and the process must reflect the integrity we expect of our next Athletics Director,” said Kaler. “Turnkey brings significant professionalism and the ability to convince strong candidates who already have outstanding jobs, to consider this opportunity.”

Kaler noted that search fees are typically one-third of a first year Athletics Director’s salary plus expenses. The current median salary for Big Ten Athletics Directors is $750,000.

Kaler said he expects the search committee to meet immediately to finalize the position description and then, in cooperation with Turnkey, begin sourcing candidates nationally. Semi-finalist candidates will likely be interviewed in six to eight weeks. The search co-chairs will be the spokespeople for the search and will also reach out to key stakeholders to help shape the position description and qualifications.

Jon Steadland, Associate to the Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of the President, will serve as the President’s liaison to the search committee and provide additional staff support to the process.

For more information on the search for the University of Minnesota's next director of athletics, visit: http://president.umn.edu/athletics-director-search.
 

I'm really glad Emily Hoover is on the committee. Getting the dept of horticultures opinion on our next ad is important.
 

Katrice Albert, the University’s vice president for equity and diversity, and Perry Leo, professor of aerospace engineering and faculty athletics representative, will co-chair the search committee.

Would much rather have this read: "quality and performance".
 

Given the level of politics in a major university, Kaler had to get a cross-section of people on the committee. I am actually reasonably pleased with some of the choices - a current player, a current coach, several former players, at least one prominent booster (and friend of Sid) in Marty Davis, and several people from the business community. I noted that Tom Vannelli - a former hockey great - is on the committee and works in sales and marketing. He should add a needed perspective to the committee in terms of the U's need to step up its marketing and ticket sales efforts.
 




Not a bad group, but it is hard for me to see a committee of 16 working at all efficiently, despite some of the solid names on the list.
 

Turkey search??? You gotta be kidding me! I'm sure I could find you a turkey AD for a tenth of what they are charging. :rolleyes:
 





I'm really glad Emily Hoover is on the committee. Getting the dept of horticultures opinion on our next ad is important.

Instead of the knee-jerk reaction to "Professor of Horticulture" (and I suspect a woman) note she is the Faculties Athletics Representative. That's mandated by the NCAA and I think the person's main job is to ensure that academics are a part of the athlete's reason for being on scholarship as well as to make sure academic integrity is maintained. I realize for some athletes and schools that's totally bogus but the majority of these kids are in school to get a college education as well as be in a sport. Very defensible she's on it.
 


It is! I hope he still has a killer mullet!

I messed up, it was Mike Vanelli, Tommy is his brother, Tom is his dad.

The Mike Vanelli I knew would suprise the hell out of me if he was a director of Marketing.
 



Is there really not a single person with a basketball background on a 16 member committee? It's possible one of the names on the list has a background in hoops and I am not familiar with them. On the positive side, football has at least 4 spots on the committee.
 

Is there really not a single person with a basketball background on a 16 member committee? It's possible one of the names on the list has a background in hoops and I am not familiar with them. On the positive side, football has at least 4 spots on the committee.

If it is the Cunningham I am thinking of, the guy is a huge basketball booster if not directly linked with playing or managing the game. I could be wrong, though. Now that you mention it, pretty heavy on football.
 

If it is the Cunningham I am thinking of, the guy is a huge basketball booster if not directly linked with playing or managing the game. I could be wrong, though. Now that you mention it, pretty heavy on football.

Thanks for the response. I wouldn't know Cunningham, I am glad there is at least one person on the committee with basketball as a focus/priority.
 

Thanks for the response. I wouldn't know Cunningham, I am glad there is at least one person on the committee with basketball as a focus/priority.

Lisa Lissimore played basketball for the Gophers.
 

Turkey search??? You gotta be kidding me! I'm sure I could find you a turkey AD for a tenth of what they are charging. :rolleyes:

No. But even Reusse's Turkey of the Year Committee doesn't have 16 members.

Speaking of which, Kaler has probably locked up an invite to the banquet this year.
 




A little surprised that Quincy Lewis isn't on the panel.
 

A little surprised that Quincy Lewis isn't on the panel.

Very good call. Has both the basketball and admin background. Shall we lodge our protests right now or wait until the decision for AD is made?
 

How about Shik?

Jim Shikenjanski would have been another good choice. He's the Gopher hoops alum I see at more Gopher games than any other. I'm assuming he's a season-ticket holder and lives in the Twin Cities? Not directly involved with the program, I assume, so he could give an outsider/former player/fan's perspective.

The committee also could use someone who could give them some scheduling advice/perspective. (wink, wink)
 

A little surprised that Quincy Lewis isn't on the panel.

Probably because he works in the athletic department and would be helping to choose his boss's boss's boss, without any of those people between being afforded the same privilege.
 

Probably because he works in the athletic department and would be helping to choose his boss's boss's boss, without any of those people between being afforded the same privilege.

That's what I was wondering - whether there might be a conflict of interest. On the other hand, we regularly have people in the chain of command on our interview panels (and I work in government).
 

Jim Shikenjanski would have been another good choice. He's the Gopher hoops alum I see at more Gopher games than any other. I'm assuming he's a season-ticket holder and lives in the Twin Cities? Not directly involved with the program, I assume, so he could give an outsider/former player/fan's perspective.

The committee also could use someone who could give them some scheduling advice/perspective. (wink, wink)

Probably a good choice, SS, but let's not be adding names or soon we'll have a search committee of 32 or 45. Actually, I think this does sort of protect us of hiring another disaster like Mega-Tongue because you would think it would be harder for a dud to get by 16 people, provided they all actually have a say. But it also might prevent us from getting an unknown who turns out to be a home run hire. I see a safe bet hire coming--which given the U's history might be the wise path.
 

Probably a good choice, SS, but let's not be adding names or soon we'll have a search committee of 32 or 45. Actually, I think this does sort of protect us of hiring another disaster like Mega-Tongue because you would think it would be harder for a dud to get by 16 people, provided they all actually have a say. But it also might prevent us from getting an unknown who turns out to be a home run hire. I see a safe bet hire coming--which given the U's history might be the wise path.

Agree. No need to add more. Just an after-the-fact stream of consciousness.
 






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