Search for Cusack's replacement

[Nutt House]

Tom Archdeacon: Cusack demanded integrity
By Tom Archdeacon
Staff Writer

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

His dad was a milkman in Brooklyn who delivered his glass bottles door to door. His mom, among other things, was an undercover detective at Gimbels Department Store.

One made sure you got what you needed to grow big and strong. The other made sure you weren't taking shortcuts.

In a way, Mike Cusack has carried on the work of his parents at Wright State University.

Under his 26-year stewardship as the school's athletic director, he helped the Raiders become a vibrant Division I program that has never been stained by NCAA violations that occurred under his watch.

"Every year at our first meeting with staff and coaches, Mike would stress, 'We WILL be squeaky clean,'" said Paul Newman, the retired WSU associate athletic director. "He'd say, 'If you ever have a question that you violated a rule, come see me and be honest. But if you break a rule and hide it from me, you are gone.' "

Cusack said that stance was simple: "My dad would always say, 'Don't lie to me. Tell me what happened.' There's nothing worse than not being able to trust somebody."

Cusack found himself thinking about the past — and the future — Tuesday afternoon, March 25, as he sat in his office after a press conference to announce his retirement as AD and his plan to teach and help develop a new sports management certificate program at WSU:

"I'll be 66 in May and I think it's a good time. We're in really good shape as a program. I don't want to be one these guys who's kind of staggering to the end."

That's certainly not happening. He's involved with his family, likes to write and is a fitness buff.

In fact, he still looks like he could play shortstop as he did at Long Island University, before coaching baseball at Queens College and Mercyhurst prior to Wright State. One of the first guys he added to his WSU staff was Newman, then at Edinboro State.

"Three months into the job here, I stomped out of his office and said, 'I'm out of here,' " Newman laughed.

Put in charge of the budget when somebody else stumbled in that job, Newman told Cusack they were "a couple of hundred thousand" in the hole and "Mike kind of exploded on me."

Although the assessment would prove untrue, Newman thought he'd had enough of the brash New Yorker. For two weeks, the pair communicated only by note until they finally buried the hatchet and, as Newman now says with a smile, "We became best friends ... He's a good man."

No one will tell you that more than former basketball star Mark Woods, whose life got sidetracked after he left WSU and he ended up in jail. Cusack eventually got him back in school to get his degree and turn his life around.

Tuesday, Woods called Cusack, and when the AD mentioned that at the press conference, his voice broke.

Dan Abrahamowicz, vice president of student affairs, knows that side of Cusack: "When I think of Mike, I think of two words — integrity and honesty."

Yet for that forthrightness, he said Cusack has a facade, too: "He can come off as a gruff New Yorker, but that's just a cover for a warm-hearted guy who cares about people."

Newman laughed: "I think Mike's become a Midwesterner ... he just doesn't realize it."

www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2008/03/26/ddn032608arch.html

[Nutt House]

'Fresh blood' may be just what WSU needs
By Sean McClelland
Staff Writer

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Of all the words uttered about retiring Wright State Athletic Director Mike Cusack, those of head athletic trainer Tony Ortiz perhaps rang the truest.

In a conversation with Dayton Daily News reporter Kyle Nagel, Ortiz spoke warmly of Cusack and their long relationship, but I think he also spoke for many in and around WSU when he said, "We need some fresh blood (to) get some ideas about how to fill this place."

Who knows what effect the change will have on Nutter Center attendance, but I think it's about time we found out.

Not that Cusack can't boast of accomplishments in other areas, such as shepherding the men's basketball program from Division II to Division I and boosting minor sports. He certainly can.

But when it comes to populating the Nutter Center, the bar is set low in Fairborn, allowing the new person (Bob Grant?) to begin almost with a clean slate.

Is it the athletic director's job to sell tickets? In a way, yes. And it just hasn't happened to any degree that is reflected in attendance at men's or women's basketball games despite some recent success in those programs.

When attendance for your primary sport falls or stagnates, it means there's a problem somewhere with the relationship of the athletic department leadership and the community at large, to say nothing of the student body, which also stays away in droves.

On balance, Tuesday was a good day for WSU.

www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2008/03/26/ddn032608audible.html

[Retired Coach]

Bob Grant
Associate Athletics Director
Wright State University

Since joining the Raiders in 1992, Bob Grant's responsibilities have involved him in nearly every aspect of the athletics department including: marketing, fund raising and development, budget oversight, supervision/evaluation of personnel and programs, recruitment of coaches, and strategic planning.

Initially hired to develop and implement a comprehensive fund raising plan for athletics, Grant developed and continues to oversee the “Raider Club” annual giving program, the Raider auction, annual golf outings, fan trips, special events and the department's courtesy car program.

Paramount among Grant's accomplishments has been the department's success under his supervision in countless fund raising and development projects such as The Platinum Seating Program, The Mills Player Complex, Alumni Soccer Field, The Schwarz Hall of Fame Lobby, Alumni Soccer Dugouts, and the Setzer Pavilion/Mills-Morgan Center.

Grant has spear-headed athletic department search committees that have hired over a half dozen coaches and administrators including, most recently, basketball and baseball coaches Brad Brownell and Rob Cooper.

In 2006 Grant initiated the athletic department's first-ever strategic plan. This plan will serve as a short and long-term roadmap guiding the athletics department into the future. Grant also took over supervision and oversight for the department's $8 million budget in 2006. Working closely with the athletics' business manager, Grant now works with all head coaches on fiscal issues including budget planning, preparation, management and evaluation

In 1999 Grant took on sport supervision, working with individual teams on a day-to-day basis. Grant works directly with head coaches on all facets of their programs including scheduling, recruiting, academics, discipline, and annual evaluations. His experience in this area includes work with the swimming & diving program, women's soccer and softball. Grant currently oversees the men's basketball, men's soccer and baseball programs.

In 1997 Grant directed the development of all-new athletic logos, resulting in a significant increase in the university's licensing revenue. He served on the university's licensing committee from 1997-2005, oversaw the marketing and promotions area from 1997-2002, and directed the Hall of Fame voting/honoring process from 1992-2002.

Among his professional highlights, Grant was a 1994 NCAA speaker/presenter at the annual NACDA conference in Atlanta, Georgia, and was awarded the 1998 Wright State President's Award for Excellence in collaboration. He also "graduated" from The Sports Management Institute in January, 2006.

Grant, a Dayton-area native earned his MBA in marketing from WSU in June 2000. He and his wife, Kim, who serves as Athletics Marketing Director at WSU, have a daughter, Jordan, and a son, Braden.

www.wright.edu/~bob.grant/

[Class of '83]

Wright State AD search on track
By Marc Katz
Staff Writer
Monday, April 21, 2008

FAIRBORN — Wright State remains on its timetable to have a new athletic director chosen by the end of May, taking the place of retiring Michael Cusack, who finishes 26 years at the school on June 30.

By Friday, April 18, the deadline for first considerations, Vice President of Student Affairs Dan Abrahamowicz said he had received more than 40 applications and expected a few more before his committee meets this week to "try to winnow that down to a select few."

Abrahamowicz said his committee would conduct two to three weeks of interviews before making a selection in the next month.

"That's kind of ambitious," Abrahamowicz said, "but that's what we expect to happen."

While the search is nation-wide, Bob Grant, Cusack's top assistant, is considered to be a strong candidate.

www.daytondailynews.com/sports/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2008/04/20/ddn042108spwsuad.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=38

[Raider Country]

WSU narrows its search for new AD
By Marc Katz
Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 30, 2008

FAIRBORN — By the end of this week, Wright State expects to have a Final Four list of potential candidates to replace retiring athletic director Michael Cusack.

Formal interviews are to begin next week.

"We cut 47 applicants down to nine," said Trina Smith, WSU's volleyball coach and a member of the AD search committee. "There are eight of us on the committee. We had to rate all the applicants by 10 criteria. I was reading 3-4 resumes a day."

Vice president of student affairs Dan Abrahamowicz is doing the final cutting to four before entering the final stage of the search.

Two members of Cusack's staff applied — associate AD Bob Grant and assistant AD Matt Liddy.

Grant, a 1988 WSU graduate (with a 2000 MBA), has worked in the athletic department 15 years.

"We have to build up name recognition," said Grant. "We're not a household name outside of our region. I love this place, but I embrace change, too."

Liddy spent his first 20 years at the school as a swimming coach, the last 17 as head coach for the most successful sports team on campus. The last three years, he has been an administrator.

"There are lots of good candidates," Liddy said. "I don't think we lose if we go inside or outside. What do we need here? Promotions and fund-raising are the hottest topics around, I guess."

Cusack finishes his 26-year-run at the end of June, but Abrahamowicz said he would like to choose the school's new AD by the end of May.

www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2008/04/29/ddn043008spwsuad.html

[Willie]

Apr 30, 2008 6:29:17 GMT -5 Raider Country said:

WSU narrows its search for new AD
By Marc Katz
Staff Writer
Wednesday, April 30, 2008

FAIRBORN — By the end of this week, Wright State expects to have a Final Four list of potential candidates to replace retiring athletic director Michael Cusack.

Formal interviews are to begin next week.

"We cut 47 applicants down to nine," said Trina Smith, WSU's volleyball coach and a member of the AD search committee. "There are eight of us on the committee. We had to rate all the applicants by 10 criteria. I was reading 3-4 resumes a day."

Vice president of student affairs Dan Abrahamowicz is doing the final cutting to four before entering the final stage of the search.

Two members of Cusack's staff applied — associate AD Bob Grant and assistant AD Matt Liddy.

Grant, a 1988 WSU graduate (with a 2000 MBA), has worked in the athletic department 15 years.

"We have to build up name recognition," said Grant. "We're not a household name outside of our region. I love this place, but I embrace change, too."

Liddy spent his first 20 years at the school as a swimming coach, the last 17 as head coach for the most successful sports team on campus. The last three years, he has been an administrator.

"There are lots of good candidates," Liddy said. "I don't think we lose if we go inside or outside. What do we need here? Promotions and fund-raising are the hottest topics around, I guess."

Cusack finishes his 26-year-run at the end of June, but Abrahamowicz said he would like to choose the school's new AD by the end of May.

www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2008/04/29/ddn043008spwsuad.html

What the hell is the purpose of the article if you aren't going to name any of the finalists? I'm glad we are getting closer to having a final 4, but why not just wait until they announce our top 4 to write this article.

[Raider Country]

Wright State releases list of AD candidates
By Marc Katz
Staff Writer
Friday, May 02, 2008

FAIRBORN — Wright State released the names of its final four athletic director candidates today, May 2, and the list includes current associate AD Bob Grant.

The other three candidates — all with strong Midwestern roots — include Stephen Downing, senior associate AD at Texas Tech and a former administrator and basketball player at Indiana; Brian Teter, director of athletics at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and former Great Midwest Conference assistant commissioner and sports information director at Miami University; and Kevin McNamee, deputy associate athletic director at George Mason and an Indiana graduate.

"These are the four we're bringing in, but none of the others (47 applied for the job) have been excluded," said Dr. Dan Abrahamowicz, WSU's vice president of student affairs. "After talking to these people and some of their references, we feel we're in a very good place at Wright State. We've found people around the country think highly of our school."

When longtime athletic director Mike Cusack recently announced his retirement — to take place at the end of June — the school launched a search to find his replacement. From the initial list of candidates, a committee cut the finalists to six, then four this week.

Abrahamowicz expects interviews to be held the last three weeks of this month and the new athletic director to be chosen at the end of that process.

"We've had a good administration in athletics under Mike," Abrahamowicz said. "We're not saying win at all costs. Yes, we want to fill the Nutter Center and we want to win the all-sports trophy and we want our student-athletes to graduate.

"We want someone who values our athletes and values our school."

www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2008/05/02/ddn050208wsuweb.html

[Raider Country]

Wright State picks four finalists in AD hunt
By Marc Katz
Staff Writer
Saturday, May 03, 2008

FAIRBORN — One of the final four candidates for the Wright State athletic director's job works in the office next to Mike Cusack, the current AD who is retiring next month.

Another played basketball at Indiana under Bob Knight.

A third was once the sports information director at Miami University and the fourth works at George Mason in Fairfax, Va., a school about the same age as Wright State.

WSU vice president of student affairs Dr. Dan Abrahamowicz released the names Friday, May 2, and expects to interview the finalists by the end of the month.

The candidates:
Bob Grant, WSU associate AD who holds two degrees from the school, an MBA in marketing and a bachelor of science in business administration. He has been associated with the school — mostly in the athletics department — almost exclusively since he was an undergrad.

Stephen Downing, senior associate director of athletics at Texas Tech since 2001. Before obtaining his current position, Downing worked nearly 25 years as an associate AD at Indiana, where he was Big Ten Player of the Year in 1973. He was a member of the 1974 Boston Celtics NBA championship team.

Brian Teter, an Illinois State grad, was Miami SID from 1991-94 and has worked at Illinois State, Cincinnati and Indiana. He also was an assistant commissioner of the Great Midwest Conference and an associate commissioner of Conference USA. He was associate AD at Cincinnati before taking his current job as AD at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

Kevin McNamee is deputy associate AD at George Mason, where he has worked since 1995. Prior to that, he was at St. Bonaventure, not only as an administrator, but from 1978-92 as the school's swimming coach. He graduated from St. Bonaventure and has a master's degree in coaching and human performance from Indiana.

"We want someone who will make a commitment to Wright State and our student-athletes," Abrahamowicz said. "We'd like to fill the Nutter Center, win the all-sports trophy and graduate all our athletes, but we're not saying win at all costs."

The new athletic director will be only the third in the school's history, following Don Mohr and Cusack.

www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2008/05/03/ddn050308spwsu.html

[Class of '83]

Isles AD Teter a finalist for same position at Wright St.
By Lee Goddard
Sunday, May 4, 2008

CORPUS CHRISTI — This time there is no misunderstanding. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi athletic director Brian Teter is a finalist for the same position at Wright State.

Teter, who was hired by A&M-Corpus Christi on July 3, 2006, confirmed he is one of four finalists at Wright State, which is located near Dayton, Ohio. He said an interview will take place by the end of the month.

Teter appeared on a list of candidates for the North Dakota athletic director's job in February. But Teter denied he was up for that post, and said it was a result of a miscommunication with a recruiting company.

Wright State is near Teter's Cincinnati base. He has family and contacts in the area. Teter worked at Miami (Ohio) and was at Cincinnati before leaving for A&M-Corpus Christi less than 22 months ago.

"I'm flattered they want to talk with me," Teter said. "(Location) is a part of it. This is an area I am familiar with. I do have a great job here, but I will go visit."

Teter said he was contacted by Horizon League commissioner Jonathan LeCrone to gauge his interest in the Wright State position. Teter added that, unlike the way things played out with North Dakota, he felt Wright State was handled the proper way.

With LeCrone's support, Teter threw his name into the process. Now Stephen Downing, senior associate athletic director at Texas Tech, Bob Grant, senior associate athletic director at Wright State, and Kevin McNamee, the senior associate athletic director at George Mason, join him in Wright State's final four.

Michael Cusack, the current athletic director at Wright State, announced his retirement effective June 30. A Wright State news release following Cusack's announced retirement stated the university would like a successor in place for July 1.

If Teter is chosen, accepts and is ready by July 1, his total time spent at A&M-Corpus Christi will be less than two years. His first day with the Islanders was July 24, 2006.

www.caller.com/news/2008/may/04/isles-ad-teter-a-finalist-for-same-position-at/

[Raider Country]

May 4, 2008 8:58:40 GMT -5 Class of '83 said:

Isles AD Teter a finalist for same position at Wright St.
By Lee Goddard
Sunday, May 4, 2008

CORPUS CHRISTI — This time there is no misunderstanding. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi athletic director Brian Teter is a finalist for the same position at Wright State.

Teter, who was hired by A&M-Corpus Christi on July 3, 2006, confirmed he is one of four finalists at Wright State, which is located near Dayton, Ohio. He said an interview will take place by the end of the month.

Teter appeared on a list of candidates for the North Dakota athletic director's job in February. But Teter denied he was up for that post, and said it was a result of a miscommunication with a recruiting company.

Wright State is near Teter's Cincinnati base. He has family and contacts in the area. Teter worked at Miami (Ohio) and was at Cincinnati before leaving for A&M-Corpus Christi less than 22 months ago.

"I'm flattered they want to talk with me," Teter said. "(Location) is a part of it. This is an area I am familiar with. I do have a great job here, but I will go visit."

Teter said he was contacted by Horizon League commissioner Jonathan LeCrone to gauge his interest in the Wright State position. Teter added that, unlike the way things played out with North Dakota, he felt Wright State was handled the proper way.

With LeCrone's support, Teter threw his name into the process. Now Stephen Downing, senior associate athletic director at Texas Tech, Bob Grant, senior associate athletic director at Wright State, and Kevin McNamee, the senior associate athletic director at George Mason, join him in Wright State's final four.

Michael Cusack, the current athletic director at Wright State, announced his retirement effective June 30. A Wright State news release following Cusack's announced retirement stated the university would like a successor in place for July 1.

If Teter is chosen, accepts and is ready by July 1, his total time spent at A&M-Corpus Christi will be less than two years. His first day with the Islanders was July 24, 2006.

www.caller.com/news/2008/may/04/isles-ad-teter-a-finalist-for-same-position-at/

I'm not impressed at all with him. I want someone committed to WSU. Not someone looking for the next big job opening. This guy has been in Texas less than 2 years and has already applied for 2 openings. That's a red flag in my book. I don't see anyone out there I want more than Bob Grant. He loves WSU and is more than qualified to take over.

[Raider Country]

Q&A with Bob Grant, candidate for WSU AD job
By Marc Katz
Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Bob Grant, associate athletics director at Wright State University, is one of four finalists for the Wright State athletics director job from which Dr. Michael Cusack is retiring after 26 years.

Grant is the only finalist from inside the current administration at WSU. Interviews with the finalists — including George Mason deputy associate athletic director Kevin McNamee, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi athletics director Brian Teter and Texas Tech senior associate director of athletics Stephen Downing — will take place this month under the direction of Dr. Dan Abrahamowicz, WSU vice president of student affairs.

Some questions and answers with Grant:

Q What are WSU's biggest assets?
A Our biggest assets are two things: our people — and mainly our coaches — and our facilities. Our next athletics director won't have a problem with coaches. The Nutter Center is great and the Pavilion is for all athletics.

Q What can WSU become in NCAA Division I athletics?
A I think we can become a very broad-based overall program of excellence. We have it together academically, and we're on the cusp athletically.

I'm living this right now. Our baseball team took two of three from Youngstown and we're in first place. Our basketball team has won 44 games in two years. (Women's basketball coach) Bridgett (Williams) had a great season with the Newcomer of the Year in the conference. Softball just swept UIC, which sends a great message. I think (coach) Trina (Smith) has the volleyball team headed in the right direction. I have confidence in both soccer programs.

As opposed to some places known for only one sport or two sports, I think each one of our sports right now is poised to do great things in the conference. I think we're ready for bigger crowds in the Nutter Center if we do a few more things from marketing or public relations standpoints. We're ready to rachet up to another level.

Q What does WSU need to do to advance in athletics?
A Giving proper perspective to Mike, he has laid an unbelievable foundation. The next step for us is an extremely aggressive marketing campaign. Our program has a lot of things we should be bragging about. I don't want to be the best-kept secret around. I want to get out of the shadows. I want to get out there. I want to brag about our accomplishments.

I like the fact we're an underdog. I like the fact it's probably more of a challenge to come up with a schedule. I like the way things are set up. For the most part, they're working.

Q Are there any negatives to Wright State?
A Our biggest negative, because of where we're at, is name recognition. That's something we're going to battle. We're doing all the right things on the court, on the field and in the pool, but our name recognition outside the region is a negative for us.

www.daytondailynews.com/sports/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2008/05/06/ddn050608wsuweb.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=38

[Raider Rowdies]

Candidate Grant worked his way up at WSU
By Marc Katz
Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 07, 2008

FAIRBORN — In the mid-1980s, while he was still an undergrad at Wright State, Bob Grant applied to be an intern for Major League Baseball in New York.

"I was a finalist for an internship with Bart Giamatti's office, and during the interview process I interviewed with Bob Quinn, who was then the general manager of the Reds," Grant recalled.

"He gave me the best advice ever. He said, 'Hey, Bob, you know if you get this internship, you'll be living in New York City for 10 months of the year, making peanuts. If you really want sports, you've got to concentrate on college athletics. You've got a great foothold there at Wright State.' "

Taking Quinn's advice, Grant graduated from WSU, obtained an MBA in marketing and joined the school's athletics staff. A West Carrollton native, he has never left.

Grant — who started as a volunteer in the sports information office — has become an associate athletic director and this month will be interviewed as one of the four finalists for the athletic director's chair, being vacated by retiring Mike Cusack. Grant is the only in-house candidate and, at 43, the youngest.

"I've worked in every part of this department," Grant said. "This is the one job I've waited for, that I've had my eye on for the better part of a decade. It's not just longevity. Plenty of people can stay 10-20 years at a place. I've stayed here because I've loved this place.

"I don't just want to be an athletics director. I want to be the athletics director at Wright State."

Grant said working with the school's administration and coaches — most of whom he helped hire — is the best part of the job.

"I've helped fundraise for bricks-and-mortar projects," Grant said. "Those things are far easier to do even at our stage in our lifecycle than finding good people."

What can Wright State become?

"I look at Xavier just down the road of a perfect model of something we can be," said Grant, pointing out X's athletic success, particularly in basketball.


Athletic director candidate profile
Name: Bob Grant
Age: 43

Education: Bachelor of Science/Business Administration, WSU, 1988; MBA/Marketing, WSU, 2000.

Experience: Senior WSU athletics development officer, 1992-1995; WSU assistant athletic director, 1996-2002; WSU associate athletic director 2003-present.

Highlights: Supervises men's basketball, baseball, men's soccer and golf; responsible for approximately $10 million in gifts/pledges since 1996; supervised marketing director and department 1997-2000; oversaw business manager and $8 million athletics budget in 2007.

www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2008/05/07/ddn050708spwsuad.html

[Class of '83]

This is BS. After the mess we had hiring Biancardi, how in the hell did Brian Teter make it to our final 4 for AD?



A&M-CC under investigation
By Lee Goddard (Contact)
May 7, 2008

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is under investigation by the NCAA for potential violations committed in three sports and by the institution.

The university learned by letter it was under investigation. An NCAA investigation does not mean any wrongdoing occurred, but that there is -- using NCAA terminology -- reasonable cause to pursue an inquiry.

The NCAA's letter to the university, obtained by the Caller-Times through the Freedom of Information Act, states that the governing body is probing the men's basketball, men's tennis and volleyball programs. It also will look into a report filed by the institution regarding the volleyball violation.

There was no indication in the letter whether any of the violations are considered major or secondary.

The NCAA is examining the possibility that an ineligible athlete participated in volleyball, and questions a university report filed to the NCAA about the possible volleyball violation.

A non-qualifying athlete in men's tennis could have received improper financial aid. It also mentions potential impermissible benefits given to a prospective men's basketball player and that the men's basketball staff might have used personal funds during recruiting.

Men's basketball was mentioned again in that a student-athlete might have received improper credit for course work while serving in the men's basketball office.

The department also will be questioned on filing reports with the NCAA that deal with outside income by staff members.

Marshall Collins, the university's assistant vice president for marketing and communications, said some of the incidents occurred as early as 2004, but others could be more recent.

"We can't really itemize what they are looking into," Collins said. "It could taint what they are looking into."

The NCAA's Web site details that, "When reasonably reliable information has been obtained indicating that an intentional violation has occurred, that a significant competitive or recruiting advantage may have been gained, or that false or misleading information may have been reported to the institution or to the enforcement staff, the enforcement staff will undertake a review of the information in order to determine its credibility."

In the letter, dated March 26, 2008, David Price, the NCAA vice president for enforcement, said he hoped to conclude the investigation by this month. There is a six-month window for updated findings to be sent to the university that will conclude Sept. 28.

The letter was sent to university president Flavius Killebrew, and copied to athletic director Brian Teter and Southland Conference commissioner Tom Burnett.

Burnett and Teter, who was named a finalist for the same position at Wright State Friday, could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Killebrew said in a release that the university is taking the allegation seriously and will cooperate with the NCAA.

Former associate athletic director Brian DeAngelis, now the athletic director at East Central Oklahoma, confirmed he was interviewed by NCAA investigators during the past three months regarding A&M-Corpus Christi, but said he could not elaborate on the subject matter.

Collins said Killebrew's first action after receiving the letter was to form an ad-hoc committee to assist the NCAA and, if infractions occurred, to recommend changes.

Business professor Swint Friday, Kathy Funk-Baxter, associate vice president for finance and administration, and Trent Hill, vice president for institutional advancement, comprise the committee.

"Killebrew put those people together to make sure there are no hurdles or obstacles for the NCAA," Collins said. "He wants to make sure they have access to all they need in athletics or finance."

The NCAA cannot comment about ongoing investigations. But Price wrote that David Didion, the NCAA director of enforcement, and Kristen Matha, the assistant director of enforcement, will process the case.

If the investigation is not concluded in one year from the date of the letter, NCAA enforcement staff will meet with members of the Committee on Infractions to see if any additional action should be taken.

There are several steps that happen if infractions are uncovered. If there are rules violations, the NCAA will send a notice of allegations to the university. The institution has 90 days to respond by either rebutting the findings or self-imposing penalties.

The next step is to convene a hearing before the Committee on Infractions, which meets six times a year. A report is issued and, if the violations are upheld, sanctions can be imposed.

The only alternative after that is an appeal to the Infractions Appeals Committee.

www.caller.com/news/2008/may/07/am-cc-under-investigation/

[OG Raiderfan]

Just another good reason we should hire Bob Grant. He doesn't have any skeleton's in his closet.

[Raider Country]

Coaching legend steered McNamee out of pool and into administration
By Marc Katz
Staff Writer
Thursday, May 08, 2008

Several years ago, when he was the swim coach at St. Bonaventure, Kevin McNamee was approached by Eddie Donovan, the legendary St. Bonny coach who became coach and general manager of the NBA's New York Knicks.

Donovan was helping his old school restructure its athletic department.

"He said he had watched me and really wanted me to get involved in athletic administration," McNamee said. "When someone like Eddie Donovan invites you to do something and is going to be your mentor, it's kind of tough to say you don't want to go that route."

In 1988, McNamee was patched into the administrative end at St. Bonny. By 1992, he was a full-time administrator and since 1995 has been at George Mason, now as deputy associate athletic director. He is one of the four finalists for the athletic director job at Wright State.

"The types of jobs I'm interested in are the ones I feel some significant things can occur," McNamee said. "There are 330 Division I institutions. Outside of the BCS, I'm not sure how many of them are good jobs, when you look at all the factors.

"This (WSU) is a state university, as is George Mason. It is growing rapidly. It has a vision for what it can be athletically, and it has proven that it can compete in Division I athletics. That's why this is intriguing to me."

Athletically, George Mason — in the Washington suburb of Fairfax, Va. — is best known for advancing to the Final Four in men's basketball two years ago and winning the 1996 NCAA men's indoor track and field championship. McNamee was asked where WSU can go with its program.

"Anywhere it wants to (go)," McNamee said. "You have to focus on where Wright State is in the Horizon League. It's not looking at Wright State necessarily among 330 Division I institutions.

"If you take care of business, and you do things the right way and you're competitive — and you're one of the top three programs in all sports in the Horizon League — you're going to get yourself onto the national stage."


Athletic director candidate profile

Name: Kevin McNamee

Age: 53

Education: B.S. in physical education, St. Bonaventure University, 1976; M.S. in coaching and human performance, Indiana University, 1978.

Experience: Head men's swimming coach, St. Bonaventure, 1978-92; assistant AD for non-revenue sports programming, St. Bonaventure, 1988-92; senior associate athletic director, St. Bonaventure, 1992-95; senior associate athletic director, George Mason University 1995-2005; deputy associate athletic director, George Mason, 2005-present.

Highlights: Several athletes competed in Division I championships during his tenure as swim coach at St. Bonaventure; responsible for competitive oversight of 20 sports at George Mason.

www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2008/05/07/ddn050808spwsuad.html