Barnes awaits word as projects move forward

Practices began next week for fall sports at Eastern Washington University. That could be the same time the Eagles have to start a search for a new athletic director.

Scott Barnes expects to hear in the next week if he is the choice at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, where the school president has said he wants to name the new A.D. before the Olympics begin.

But Barnes isn’t waiting around to hear from the Huskies.

“We’ve got too many; things and too few days to lose focus,” he said Thursday.

Barnes was on vacation last week, interviewed at NIU early this week and returned for the Ron Raver Memorial Golf Tournament on Wednesday. Now he is focused on the completion of major renovations at Woodward Field prior to the Eagles’ first home football game on Sept. 18.

“First and foremost, I am excited about being where I’m at and appreciate very much the opportunities I’ve had at Eastern,” Barnes said. “What might make NIU attractive is the fact that it’s a 1-A program, it’s surfaced as a very strong football program, … I wouldn’t want to comment further other than to say there are enough unique challenges and opportunities that it’s certainly piqued my interested. At the same time there’s a lot to do here and I’m excited about what we’ve accomplished and what more we have to accomplish.”

The Huskies of the Mid-American Conference started last season 7-0, including wins over Maryland, Alabama and Iowa State that helped them reach a No. 12 ranking in the AP poll and 10th in the BCS standings. They finished 10-2.

NIU has been looking for an athletic director since Cary Groth accepted the job at Nevada in early March. She had been at NIU for 23 years, the last 10 as A.D.

Barnes has been the athletic director at EWU for four years. Prior to that he was the A.D. at Humboldt State.

The other two finalists are Oregon State senior associate A.D. Kevin Anderson and Notre Dame senior associated A.D. James Phillips.