Don’T Look For Quick Decision On New WSU Athletic Director

Right now around Washington State University’s athletic department speculation rules the talk.

What have you heard on a new athletic director? Is there any chance it will be Bill Moos? What about Wayne Hogan at Montana? Or Doug Woolard at St. Louis? These are just a few of the questions floating around WSU.

The answers: Not much. Doubtful. The name has come up. Ditto.

But one thing is for certain, a replacement for Rick Dickson will not be named any time soon.

“We probably won’t make that appointment until the summer,” said V. Lane Rawlins, Washington State’s recently-hired president.

So from Dickson’s last day until possibly June or July, WSU will be under the guidance of an interim director. Rawlins has left that appointment up to outgoing president Sam Smith.

And while Smith has not said who that would be, it is likely that Marcia Saneholtz, the senior associate athletic director, will be put in charge of a department strapped with 10 vacancies. Saneholtz, a 20-year plus member of the WSU staff, is not believed to be a candidate for the permanent job. As for who is a candidate, nobody really knows at this point.

Dickson said he has received five or six calls from qualified candidates inquiring about the position. Rawlins added there is no shortage of qualified people who would jump at the opportunity.

But the search probably won’t get jump-started until late March. Smith is scheduled to assemble a search committee sometime next week.

Rawlins, who will remain as the president of the University of Memphis until after commencement, will meet with the search committee in late March.

From that point, Rawlins will become more involved in what he called a “national search.” Rawlins said he welcomes the opportunity to personally select the next athletic director and that there are certain criteria he will be looking for in candidates.

“We need someone who is experienced, knows how to work with coaches and the budget and can bring a great enthusiasm to the department,” he said. Reputation will also be important.

“The athletic department is a window to the university,” Rawlins said. “You don’t want that window to be dirty.”

Asked if a connection or history with WSU was a criteria, Rawlins said it was important, but he would not exclude anyone because they did not have the Crimson and Gray in their past.

It appears Rawlins will at least look to one former WSU athlete and athletic department member for help during the search - Bill Moos.

Moos, the athletic director at the University of Oregon, has made it clear in the past two weeks that, despite early indications, he is not interested in the WSU position.