List of potential AD candidates emerges

With Anderson resignation, possible successors come into focus for Terps job

Athletic directors, like attorneys and accountants, often talk shop when they meet at national conventions and regional conferences. Over the past few months, the talk has often turned to what was going on at Maryland.

It came up at the NCAA National Convention in January in Indianapolis, where many of Kevin Anderson’s colleagues tried to get information on what was called his “professional development sabbatical.”

That talk is still going on this week at a conference in Santa Monica, Calif., where a group of athletic directors is meeting. Some of them are trying to learn more about Anderson’s resignation Friday and the search process for his successor.

Many of them are talking to former Maryland basketball star Tom McMillen, who in his role as president of the LEAD1 Association — a trade organization for college athletic directors — is monitoring the situation in College Park and as a proud alumnus is hoping the school can attract the right candidates.

“When they come up to me and ask questions about Maryland, I try to give them the possibilities — the blue sky — of Maryland,” McMillen said in a phone interview Tuesday.

Among those whom McMillen talked to Monday night was John Currie, who after eight years as athletic director at Kansas State lasted nine months at Tennessee before being fired for his inability to find a suitable replacement for football coach Butch Jones.

McMillen also spent some time talking with Damon Evans, who took over as acting athletic director when Anderson began his sabbatical last fall and is hoping

Coast school said there should be no to get the job on a permanent basis when shortage of qualified candidates for the the search process ends. Maryland job — as long as the university

“We were talking about some things that conducts an exhaustive search and uses an need to be done,” McMillen said of their outside search firm, which most schools conversation. now do.

Asked whether he thought Evans, who “It’s an outstanding academic institution had been the athletic director at Georgia with plenty of athletic tradition in a very from 2004 through 2010, might have the fertile recruiting area, and the virtue of inside track on getting the Maryland job, being in the Big Ten, they’ve got the TV McMillen said: “The advantage he has is money and resources to be able to compete that he know the players [those with power at the highest level,” said the athletic in College Park] and the situation. And he’s director, who asked not be identified. got a financial bent. That’s big.” “Maryland will have a very, very deep pool.”

Within hours of Anderson’s resignation Aside from Currie, potential candidates last week, Maryland chief communications who have been or currently are athletic officer Katie Lawson said Evans, 48, “is directors at Power 5 schools could include expected to be a candidate for the job.” former Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long

It has not been announced how Maryand current Hofstra athletic director Jeff land plans to conduct what is being termed Hathaway, a Maryland alum who previa national search. ously served as Connecticut athletic direc

“No details havetor.beenofferedonthe confidential, national search yet, except Maryland can also look to a rising star that it will be announced in the weeks from a smaller school, as Auburn did in ahead,” Lawson wrote in a text Monday. hiring Allen Greene away from Buffalo.

In a statement Monday, Evans said: “I Other athletic directors from Group of 5 remain focused on running this department schools who might attract interest are in a way that listens to our Terrapin Central Florida’s Danny White and South community. Listens to our fan base, our Florida’s Mark Harlan. Another name that coaches, our student-athletes and work has been mentioned is Rutgers deputy collaboratively across the institution as a athletic director Sarah Baumgartner. whole. Still, a lot depends on what happens with

“As I’ve said many times, the road to Evans. success is always under construction and “There’s a lot of people in the industry we’re in that period. … My goal is to that think Damon is a strong candidate,” the continue to work with our student-athletes, West Coast athletic director said. “People coaches and staff to be an elite academic who have good jobs don’t want to get into a and athletic program.” search where they think it’s already a fait

One longtime athletic director at a West accompli.”

Regardless of how much support Evans has within the university as well as from well-heeled boosters, what brought him to Maryland in the first place could be a factor, one Midwestern athletic director said Monday.

Considered one of the rising stars in athletic administration, Evans was fired by Georgia just days after being charged with driving under the influence in Atlanta. After being out of the business for several years, Evans was hired by Anderson in 2014.

Though athletic directors occasionally hire big-name coaches with past indiscretions, presidents rarely — if ever — hire athletic directors with those sorts of blemishes on their records, according to the Midwestern athletic director.

“I go back to what [Wisconsin athletic director] Barry Alvarez says, which is, ‘When you’re the head football coach, everybody loves you as long as you win, but when you’re AD, there isn’t anybody to beat.’ You’re as good as your last decision and some of those decisions haunt you for life,” said the Midwestern athletic director, who also asked for anonymity. “I’m not saying that’s an indictment on Damon, but I can’t think of anybody off the top of my head that got a second chance as an AD.”

Another possible deterrent in Maryland’s process was the way the situation with Anderson was handled by university president Wallace Loh. After reports surfaced in mid-October that Anderson had been fired, the school waited two days before announcing that he was taking a six-month sabbatical that most believed was a smoke screen for his ultimate departure.

Nearly six months to the day, the school announced Anderson’s resignation.

While some fellow administrators with interest in Maryland might get past Anderson’s treatment quickly, the West Coast athletic director said: “Kevin is very wellrespected in our industry and he’s had a great run of success. If you’re a sitting AD at a Power 5 [school], something like that could make someone take a much deeper look [before getting involved].”

Said the Midwestern athletic director: “People weren’t scared off at Arkansas. They weren’t scared off at Nebraska. It’s a Power 5 job, it’s in the Big Ten, Maryland’s a great institution. For the right person, that will be a great job.”

McMillen, who served on the school’s Board of Regents in the past, agreed.

“I think there are questions, but a lot of people look at Maryland like, ‘Gosh, it’s the only FBS school in the Washington, D.C., market. There are only a few cities in America that have one FBS school,” McMillen said.

”You look at what Lefty [Driesell] did here and turned it into an exciting basketball program. We’ve had football coaches turn it into an exciting football program. What Gary [Williams] did. It’s a great job if basketball and football is done right.”

McMillen said the decision on Anderson’s successor can be viewed the same way.

“The AD doesn’t necessarily light the spark, but he’s the architect of the culture,” McMillen said. “I think the AD can set that tone that we can be the very best.”