SectionsFinalists for AD position announced
5 candidates named from 103 applicants
Jeff Faust
Issue date: 4/21/09 Section: Sports
Missouri State is now down to its final handful of candidates for the director of athletics position, which will be open (and hopefully filled), starting July 1.
The five finalists were chosen out of the 103 applicants that were vying to fill the shoes of current athletics director Bill Rowe, who is retiring after spending 50 years at Missouri State, including holding the post of A.D. for the last 27 years.
"We are very excited for the group of finalists we got from a good pool of candidates," said Brent Dunn, the vice president for university advancement and the chairman of the search committee.
The five finalists are as follows: Bob Arkeilpane from the University of Cincinnati, Rick Darnell from Baylor University, Mike Marlow from the University of Oregon, Kyle Moats from the University of Louisville and Don Oberhelman from San Diego State University.
While all of the finalists come from different backgrounds, including administration, operations and fundraising, the committee focused on as many aspects of the position as possible while selecting a finalist.
These other aspects comprise the five major areas of athletic administration: budgeting, fundraising, academics (i.e. graduating student-athletes), hiring and managing coaches, and knowledge of NCAA rules, Dunn said.
Showing the sign of the times though, one of the most obvious coincidences between the finalists is the importance put on bringing money into the athletics department, as three of the five have heavy experience in external fundraising.
"These aren't the days of hiring the old ball coach and making him the athletics director anymore," Dunn said. "Marketing and the university's image as a whole is getting more and more important these days.
"However, this was definitely not the only factor that was used in determining the finalists."
The committee was looking for someone that fit into all five of the major categories listed earlier as well as someone with at least five years of Division I athletic experience and who wants to be a Missouri State Bear.
The five finalists were chosen out of the 103 applicants that were vying to fill the shoes of current athletics director Bill Rowe, who is retiring after spending 50 years at Missouri State, including holding the post of A.D. for the last 27 years.
"We are very excited for the group of finalists we got from a good pool of candidates," said Brent Dunn, the vice president for university advancement and the chairman of the search committee.
The five finalists are as follows: Bob Arkeilpane from the University of Cincinnati, Rick Darnell from Baylor University, Mike Marlow from the University of Oregon, Kyle Moats from the University of Louisville and Don Oberhelman from San Diego State University.
While all of the finalists come from different backgrounds, including administration, operations and fundraising, the committee focused on as many aspects of the position as possible while selecting a finalist.
These other aspects comprise the five major areas of athletic administration: budgeting, fundraising, academics (i.e. graduating student-athletes), hiring and managing coaches, and knowledge of NCAA rules, Dunn said.
Showing the sign of the times though, one of the most obvious coincidences between the finalists is the importance put on bringing money into the athletics department, as three of the five have heavy experience in external fundraising.
"These aren't the days of hiring the old ball coach and making him the athletics director anymore," Dunn said. "Marketing and the university's image as a whole is getting more and more important these days.
"However, this was definitely not the only factor that was used in determining the finalists."
The committee was looking for someone that fit into all five of the major categories listed earlier as well as someone with at least five years of Division I athletic experience and who wants to be a Missouri State Bear.
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