UNC to hire search to assist AD hire

The University of North Carolina will choose from two executive search firms in its search for a new athletic director.


At the first meeting of the school’s athletic director search committee this morning, two search firms made their pitches for the job.

Bill Carr of Carr & Associates, who is in his 19th year as a consultant, has helped Duke, Auburn and Kentucky find athletic directors.

Todd Turner, a UNC alumnus and former N.C. State athletic director, has worked on the Oklahoma men’s basketball, Colorado football and Kent State athletic director searches.

Their approaches as they auditioned in front of the board this morning could not have been more different.

Carr told the search committee that “your job is a jewel.”

“Wow,” he said. “What a wonderful, wonderful place to come and give leadership at such a critical time for your institution.”

Turner’s comments were more sobering. UNC is replacing Dick Baddour and planning to have the new athletic director hire a new football coach at the end of the season.

Coach Butch Davis was fired in July with the program facing allegations of nine major NCAA violations; Everett Withers is currently working as interim head coach.

“The instability of the football program, it’s an opportunity, but it’s also a challenge,” Turner said.

Lowry Caudill, who chairs the committee, would like to select from between the two search firms quickly but did not give a timeline. One immediate task for the committee is to finish creating a job description so the job can be posted; Caudill said the job can’t be offered to anyone until it has been posted for 30 days.

UNC chancellor Holden Thorp charged the committee with conducting a national search and bringing him seven candidates to consider. He said it’s important to find someone dedicated with continuing the success of all the programs in UNC’s 28-sport department.

Keeping the football program on solid ground through difficult times also is important to Thorp.

“I am completely committed to sustaining our momentum in football on the field, to compete for ACC championships and go to BCS bowls,” Thorp said.

Running an athletic department committed to academics and integrity also was at the forefront of the committee’s discussions.

“This is an important time in the history of the university,” Thorp told the committee. “We’re at a difficult time, but we’re also at a time of great potential.”

Ken Tysiac