Utah A.D. turns down UW job
University of Utah athletic director Chris Hill said Tuesday he would stay at the school, spurning the same job at Washington.
“I explored the situation at the University of Washington, but determined that I am very excited about the opportunities here at Utah,” Hill said in a statement. “We have wonderful coaches and administrators in place and I look forward to great success in the years to come.”
The Salt Lake Tribune had reported Tuesday that Hill, 54, had been offered the Washington job.
In Seattle, Washington vice president Norm Arkans was surprised Tuesday when told of Hill’s decision to remain in Salt Lake City.
“Interesting,” Arkans said.
He added: “This has all been speculation to begin with. No, I don’t have any reaction. When we have an announcement regarding the directorship, we’ll let people know loud and clear.”
On Tuesday, the Seattle Times reported that the three finalists for the job were Hill, Notre Dame senior associate athletic director Jim Phillips, and Todd Turner, former athletic director at Vanderbilt.
Tillman honored
Pat Tillman, who starred at Arizona State and with the Arizona Cardinals before becoming the first NFL player to die in combat since the Vietnam War, received another honor when the Pac-10 renamed its defensive player of the year award after him.
Tillman was killed April 22 while serving in Afghanistan near the Pakistan border.
Conference commissioner Tom Hansen said that the league’s head football coaches suggested the renaming, and their athletic directors approved the change last week.
Tillman himself won the Defensive Player of the Year honor in 1997 after leading the Sun Devils to a 9-3 record and a win over Iowa in the Sun Bowl.
Arizona recruit dies
Arizona football recruit McCollins Umeh died Tuesday afternoon after collapsing during a voluntary workout in Tucson, athletic director Jim Livengood said.
The 18-year-old defensive end was taken to the nearby University Medical Center, where efforts to revive him failed. The hospital said the time of death was 2:24 p.m.
“All our thoughts and prayers are with McCollins’ parents,” Livengood said. “There is no easy way to describe how devastating this tragedy is to the family and to the university community.”
Umeh, 6-foot-3 and 245 pounds, arrived in Tucson this week with other freshmen and transfers to participate in the conditioning drills.
Umeh was a SuperPrep All-American and was rated the No. 25 prospect in Texas. He committed orally to Kansas State, but changed his mind and signed with the Wildcats on Feb. 4.