Penn State names search committee that will help Neeli Bendapudi select the school's next athletic director
The search committee that will help incoming Penn State president Neeli Bendapudi pick the school’s next athletic director has been named.
Bendapudi will replace current university leader Eric Barron in May. One of her first big tasks will be finding a replacement for Sandy Barbour, who announced earlier this year that her run as the leader of the Nittany Lions would come to an end this summer.
The goal now is to have a new athletic director in place by July 1.
Who is on the Penn State athletic director search committee?
Here is the search committee released by Penn State on Thursday:
- Men’s ice hockey coach Guy Gadowsky
- Penn State interim athletics integrity officer Tamla Lewis
- Professor, PSU NCAA faculty athletics representative and director of the Center for Health Care and Policy Research Dennis Scanlon
- Women’s soccer player and chair of the student-athlete advisory board Ally Schlegel
- University senior vice president and chief of staff Michael Wade Smith, who, like Bendapudi, comes to Penn State from Louisville
“We are seeking a leader who will continue to prioritize our student-athletes, coaches and staff and build upon Penn State’s tradition of academic and athletic excellence,” Bendapudi said in a released statement.
“I am very appreciative of those who are serving on this committee, as this is an important role that will add to our exceptional leadership at Penn State and will shape and elevate our athletics program for years to come.”
TurnkeyZRG, a search firm, is also helping with the efforts to find a new athletic director.
‘Visionary and experienced leader sought’
According to a bullet-point list in a news release, Bendapudi is seeking many logical qualities in the eventual candidate of choice for Penn State.
The incoming president wants someone who prioritizes education and can network across the school’s 31 sports programs and also its vast intra-campus and alumni networks. Being able to uphold Penn State’s values is a must, the list said. Success as an athletic director at a Division-I school is ideal.
Beyond that, Penn State wants someone who can “demonstrate the financial, operational and strategy background needed to position Penn State for continued success given the increased complexity of the intercollegiate athletics landscape.”
In conclusion, a history of strong fundraising ability is a must.
What is James Franklin hoping for?
Here’s what he had to say Wednesday night:
“I would say bold and aggressive is something that I think is really important. I think a really good understanding nationally. And again, I can only speak for football, right? But, a really good understanding about what we’re truly competing against week in and week out.”
“And then the ability to maybe get some things done from a policy and procedure standpoint on campus that don’t affect or impact the university but could have a significant impact on athletics and specifically football, to streamline some things. Maybe be a little bit less bureaucratic with some things. That kind of goes back to the alignment thing that I’ve said before.”
