The Illinois AD Search

Kramer · Dec 4, 2015

I have no idea of how search committees are formed, is this a usual mix of people on them? When I've heard them in the past I always thought you would have people involved in the sports world.

Does anyone know what their role is beyond being called a search committee and how the process works?

Second and Chalmers · Dec 4, 2015

Kramer said:
I have no idea of how search committees are formed, is this a usual mix of people on them? When I've heard them in the past I always thought you would have people involved in the sports world.

Does anyone know what their role is beyond being called a search committee and how the process works?

Their job is to spend a month hiring Tom Michael or Josh Whitman, either of whom would have taken the job the day Mike Thomas was fired.

Kafkaesque doesn't even begin to describe this.

ILLmatic04 · Dec 4, 2015

“I’ve described the athletic program as the front porch of this magnificent institution of higher education, meaning that it’s a setting where a variety of people engage with the university,” Wilson said.

That metaphor makes perfect sense. The front porch is also where you light bags of dog poop on fire to get someone to stomp on them while others look on, pointing and laughing.

Second and Chalmers · Dec 4, 2015

ILLmatic04 said:
That metaphor makes perfect sense. The front porch is also where you light bags of dog poop on fire to get someone to stomp on them while others look on, pointing and laughing.

"Don't tell me my business devil woman!" :thumb:

IlliniJim20 · Dec 4, 2015

ILLmatic04 said:
That metaphor makes perfect sense. The front porch is also where you light bags of dog poop on fire to get someone to stomp on them while others look on, pointing and laughing.

I laugh, cuz it's true :thumb:

Priceless

TomB · Dec 4, 2015

Soxfreak64 said:
Hey, wouldn't that be the topping on our sundae!

The hairball atop our sh** sundae, if you will. Nothing against Plank, but if he is our eventual AD I'm out.

Why exactly?

I'm not saying he would get my vote, but his resume says enough to not toss in the ludicrous pile. In addition to playing at Ohio State, he has also been a color analyst, an assistant coach in the NFL and college level (Ohio State) and been a head coach in Arena football. Add to that the fact that he has successful business experience and it's not a completely irrelevant resume.

It seems like every candidate not named Rick George that gets mentioned gets dismissed by someone on this board. It makes no sense.

UofI08 · Dec 4, 2015

Have there been any quotes about this process from Jerry Colangelo or Shahid Khan? I mean, Colangelo has only been in the sports ownership/management business for 40 years, and most recently running USA basketball. And Shahid Khan only owns an NFL team and a English soccer team. 2 well connected alumns that are well-established in sports management. They bring a little more to the table than a softball player, a judge, and a soccer coach.

cmore · Dec 4, 2015

ILLmatic04 said:
https://twitter.com/IlliniHQ/status/672796948198522880

Lou Henson, Dee Brown, and our very own Chris Yates.

Second and Chalmers · Dec 4, 2015

TomB said:
It seems like every candidate not named Rick George that gets mentioned gets dismissed by someone on this board. It makes no sense.

Even Rick George has been dismissed by some.

People for one seem to have very little understanding of what an AD actually does, and even with that knowledge it's kind of a weird job with no obvious set of experiences to make someone a "perfect" candidate, especially in a situation as fractured and strained as what the next Illinois AD will walk into.

Second and Chalmers · Dec 4, 2015

Shannon Ryan ‏@sryantribune 18m18 minutes ago
On the #Illini search committee is long-time soccer coach Janet Rayfield. She was named as defendant in law suit filed this year by player.

"Distractions". Suuuuuuuure Barb, sure.

ThreatLevelMidnight · Dec 4, 2015

Jeremy Werner ‏@JWernerScout 29m29 minutes ago
Job posting for #illini athletic director position says "a hiring decision will not be made until after January 4, 2016."

woof...

TomB · Dec 4, 2015

Kramer said:
I have no idea of how search committees are formed, is this a usual mix of people on them? When I've heard them in the past I always thought you would have people involved in the sports world.

Does anyone know what their role is beyond being called a search committee and how the process works?

The committees don't actually make the hire. They make a recommendation to the person who does (Wilson).

Also, the chair of the committee is usually not the person who will supervise the person hired.

This committee consists of:
A coach
A former player
A current player
Two associate athletic directors
Two alumni (Lawyer and Judge)
And is chaired by a professor who is a faculty representative to the athletics program who is a long time member of the athletic board:

Dr. Wheeler was Chair of the Academic Progress and Eligibility Committee of the Athletic Board and Chair of the Board from 1999-2002. He is one of the Faculty Athletic Representatives for the University to the Big Ten Conference and the NCAA.

http://senate.illinois.edu/10_sec_cc.asp

I don't see anyone on the committee that doesn't make sense.

For those who have listed a few other alumni...you can't be on a committee if you are unable to devote time to attend meetings. Not being on the committee does not mean that they cannot be consulted for input.

As for the process, the committee will:
1) Determine the qualifications they are looking for.
2) Seek candidates. (This can be through contacting or advertising)
3) Evaluate the candidates who submitted resumes/applications/ or otherwise applied. From this they determine which candidate(s) to interview and the format of the interviews.
4) From those interviewed, determine which, if any, candidates to recommend to Wilson. The committee chair will write up the reasoning for the candidate they selected.

It sounds a lot more complicated than it really is.

TomB · Dec 4, 2015

After January 4th...well, yeah.

The University mostly shuts down during the Holidays, so realize that conducting business the last couple weeks of December is kind of hard.

AutoPoster 3000 · Dec 4, 2015

No hiring decision before January 4th, 2016. Woo-hoo! Someone fire up the Ron Paul "It's happening" GIF!

NickWeatherspoon · Dec 4, 2015

This search committee will carry very little, if any, weight on who our next AD will be!

ILLmatic04 · Dec 4, 2015

Shannon Ryan
‏@sryantribune
Head of #Illini AD search committee: Matt Wheeler, animal science professor and faculty athletic representative.

FootballScoop Staff
‏@FootballScoop FootballScoop Staff Retweeted Shannon Ryan
no words

Second and Chalmers · Dec 4, 2015

Not having anyone associated with the football or basketball programs currently speaks volumes.

AutoPoster 3000 · Dec 4, 2015

Second and Chalmers said:
Their job is to spend a month hiring Tom Michael or Josh Whitman, either of whom would have taken the job the day Mike Thomas was fired.

Kafkaesque doesn't even begin to describe this.

This perfectly captures the absurdity of this whole process. Everybody already knows the names and the risks associated with each of them. It's just that nobody wants the be the one held accountable if we bet on the wrong horse. So it's three months to hire an AD who would have said yes on day one. And a year to hire the same head coach that could already be here, recruiting players and hiring assistants that complement his system.

Second and Chalmers · Dec 4, 2015

AutoPoster 3000 said:
It's just that nobody wants the be the one held accountable if we bet on the wrong horse.

Isn't that really the one big advantage of "interim" status?

Anyway, nice to spend another day as the school everyone laughs at on twitter. Savor it, they won't even pay attention to us at all in a couple years' time.

mattcoldagelli · Dec 4, 2015

Second and Chalmers said:
Isn't that really the one big advantage of "interim" status?

Anyway, nice to spend another day as the school everyone laughs at on twitter. Savor it, they won't even pay attention to us at all in a couple years' time.

We'll reach Peak Laughingstock if this bowl game happens.

thatguy92 · Dec 4, 2015

Second and Chalmers said:
Their job is to spend a month hiring Tom Michael or Josh Whitman, either of whom would have taken the job the day Mike Thomas was fired.

Kafkaesque doesn't even begin to describe this.

Why do you believe this is the case?

Second and Chalmers · Dec 4, 2015

mattcoldagelli said:
We'll reach Peak Laughingstock if this bowl game happens.

It's going to. Having wasted my time scouring the #FunBelt for future Illinois coaches, I can tell you that either of Georgia State or South Alabama winning would be total shockers.

Kramer · Dec 4, 2015

Thanks Tom I really appreciate the response and explanation. One last question, do they speak to the applicants?

TomB said:
The committees don't actually make the hire. They make a recommendation to the person who does (Wilson).

Also, the chair of the committee is usually not the person who will supervise the person hired.

This committee consists of:
A coach
A former player
A current player
Two associate athletic directors
Two alumni (Lawyer and Judge)
And is chaired by a professor who is a faculty representative to the athletics program who is a long time member of the athletic board:

http://senate.illinois.edu/10_sec_cc.asp

I don't see anyone on the committee that doesn't make sense.

For those who have listed a few other alumni...you can't be on a committee if you are unable to devote time to attend meetings. Not being on the committee does not mean that they cannot be consulted for input.

As for the process, the committee will:
1) Determine the qualifications they are looking for.
2) Seek candidates. (This can be through contacting or advertising)
3) Evaluate the candidates who submitted resumes/applications/ or otherwise applied. From this they determine which candidate(s) to interview and the format of the interviews.
4) From those interviewed, determine which, if any, candidates to recommend to Wilson. The committee chair will write up the reasoning for the candidate they selected.

It sounds a lot more complicated than it really is.

Second and Chalmers · Dec 4, 2015

thatguy92 said:
Why do you believe this is the case?

Hey man, if you have some home decor-related imagery to tell me I'm wrong, go to.

AutoPoster 3000 · Dec 4, 2015

Second and Chalmers said:
Isn't that really the one big advantage of "interim" status?

Anyway, nice to spend another day as the school everyone laughs at on twitter. Savor it, they won't even pay attention to us at all in a couple years' time.

Yes, except that the current leadership's definition of "interim" is not "temporary" but instead "not authorized to perform the duties of the job."

It's really organizational CYA politics at its worst. The only thing accomplished by all this time wasting is that, should the hirings turn out to be failures in the long term, this cast of characters can say, "But look at all the due diligence we exercised!" That's the mindset when you're fundamentally an administrator and not a leader.