Tuesday, December 11, 2007 11:09 PM CST
For starters, this is a good list of AD candidates
BY BRIAN NIELSEN Sports Editor
bnielsen@jg-tc.com
From the nearby community college to a Big Ten Conference school, you can find possibilities to be Eastern Illinois’ athletics director.
The school’s winningest men’s basketball coach in history, Rick Samuels, and at least two former EIU administrators, Paul Lueken and Rodger Jehlicka, are among those who are not confirming an application yet but also not ruling out seeking the job.
Denny Throneburg, who has gone from six-time state champion softball coach at Casey-Westfield to an athletics director and coach at Lake Land, is another of the locally known names considering the position.
With a search committee planning to start reviewing applications in January, about the only conclusion to draw now is that the next athletics director is not now on campus.
Interim Athletics Director Ken Baker and Associate AD John Smith say they are not candidates.
“I will not be an applicant,” Baker said. “I appreciate this opportunity but will not be an applicant for the full-time position.”
Also a replay official for the NFL, Baker had been serving as Eastern’s director of campus recreation until being named the interim AD when Rich McDuffie was reassigned from the position last August.
Smith, who after 11 years as football coach Bob Spoo’s defensive coordinator became Eastern’s assistant athletics director in 1997 and then was promoted to associate AD as a fund-raiser in 2002, plans to retire next year rather than seek the vacant position.
“I’m not going to be a candidate,” Smith said. “I think at this point the athletic program is good and going in a new direction. Ken Baker has done just an outstanding job as filling in for the interim. I will help with the transition as much as they want me to, bringing him or her up to snuff with the people in the community. I’ve enjoyed a lot of what I’ve done here but I think it’s time for me to step away.”
Mary Anne Hanner, who is heading a 15-person search committee, did not disclose the current number of applications but said numerous have been received.
“I think we’ve been pleased with the interest in the position,” Hanner said.
Hanner said she has asked people in the community as well as in the athletics department to either seek out candidates or inform the committee. This can be done on Eastern’s Web site as well.
Already visiting campus last week was Frank Cuervo, Indiana University’s assistant athletics director for external operations, supervising and managing the school’s marketing, ticketing and media relations departments.
“It was kind of an informal visit,” Cuervo said. “I was on business in the area. Everybody there was very nice.
“At this point, it’s way preliminary. At this point, everyone was very accommodating. It seems like it has a program going in the right direction.”
Cuervo also has experience at Missouri and mid-major Bowling Green in athletics.
Others who are more familiar names around Eastern include:
PAUL LUEKEN
A Marshall native, Lueken was a finalist for Eastern’s AD position when McDuffie got the job in 1997.
He is now in his 14th year as athletics director at NCAA Division II Slippery Rock after serving as an assistant AD for development, marketing and promotions at Eastern from 1990-94. Prior to that he was an administrative assistant involved in marketing and promotions.
So now Lueken has to decide whether to stay at a place he has made home for 14 years or try to come closer to home.
“I’ve been approached by some folks in the athletic department to consider it and I’m going to consider,” he said of the Eastern job. “It’s an honor to be contacted by some folks.
“I enjoy it here. I really do. It’s just a great place to work. I’m a tenured faculty. But Eastern Illinois is a good place too. I got my start there. I met my wife there. It’s close to home. It’s got a lot of good things going for it.”
Many at Eastern now probably wish Lueken had landed the job a decade ago.
Now could come a second opportunity to hire someone who knows Eastern and the area and has experience running an athletics program.
RODGER JEHLICKA
Eastern’s associate AD from 1999 through 2005, Jehlicka is now the head coach at Illinois-Springfield which is in the transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II.
“I’ve had a few calls and had an e-mail from the head of the search committee,” Jehlicka said as to applying at Eastern. “I’m not sure if I will or won’t. I think it’s a difficult job to step into. I know Ken is doing an admirable job in the interim. He’s probably the right person to get things straightened out.
“I haven’t ruled it out. I have until Jan. 2 (to apply). There’s an awful lot of good people there.”
Jehlicka is aware of the climate Eastern endured earlier this year when sexual harassment charges were made against McDuffie eventually leading to his reassignment.
“They’ll recover and move on and be a great athletic program as they have been for years,” he said.
Generally respected in his time here, Jehlicka left partly because he was unhappy with the leadership and his situation.
A former head wrestling coach, he might be looked upon by some as an AD who would help the “Reinstate in ‘08” cause of a program that was dropped the past spring.
That might not necessarily be the case but more importantly Jehlicka has a good overview of athletics and some insights about Eastern.
Illinois-Springfield is building a $16.2 million recreation and athletics facility and, with the addition of women’s soccer, next year is to field 10 sports.
Anyone who has seen Lantz Arena and basketball facilities at the rest of the Ohio Valley Conference knows Eastern could use something new as well.
RICK SAMUELS
In his 25 years as Eastern’s basketball coach Samuels was recognized on campus as one who understood the university’s big picture and generally got along with others in the department and elsewhere on campus.
Now in his second year as development officer raising funds at Lincoln College, Samuels’ name came up nearly as soon as the Eastern AD position opened.
“I have a great love for the school,” Samuels said. “I have thought some about it. I don’t have a decision.”
In many cases bringing a fired coach to become the boss of his replacement would be very awkward.
Samuels’ ego – or actually his lack of a vindictive one - would make him one of the few to be able to pull this off without causing problems.
In compiling a 360-360 record with two NCAA tournament berths, Samuels has learned ideas of what the basketball program needs to be improved.
DENNY THRONEBURG
A long-time high school teacher/coach in his third year as a junior college athletics director/softball coach jumping into the head of an NCAA Division I program is not your typical move but this state-record setting coach and energetic worker is not your typical guy either.
“I have not applied,” Throneburg said. “Yes, I’m interested and considering it. I’m not sure I’m qualified. If they are looking for someone with Division I experience, obviously I don’t meet the qualifications.
“The only thing I could offer is my expertise of the numerous hats they wear here and the simple question of how much longer do I want to coach. One thing about junior college is the athletic director’s department is me. You do learn multiple facets of the position. Whether that translates to a four-year position, I don’t know. If they are looking for someone with Division I experience, then I’m not that. If they are looking for someone who is from the area and knows a lot of people and how to market the program, then I am someone. I do budgets, marketing, game-day management, etc.”
Throneburg is not necessarily looking to jump from his current position.
“I really like Lake Land,” he said. “I think it’s a great school. I feel very comfortable here but obviously (Eastern) is something to look at. I’m a member of the Panther Club. I got my master’s degree there. I want to see Eastern do well. I’ve lived here my whole life.
“I think Eastern is a great institution. So is Lake Land as a two-year institution. It’s top of the line. This job keeps me busy enough. Am I happy here, yes? I feel we have the program going in the right direction. But I really do want to see Eastern do well.”
Whether Throneburg is Eastern’s answer or not, if he decides to send an application the search committee should not just discard it as some junior college guy. He has more to offer than that.
Plenty of others are certainly to enter the picture, too. But if these men would be the only applicants, it would not be a bad pool.
Brian Nielsen is sports editor of the Journal Gazette/Times-Courier. Contact him at bnielsen@jg-tc.com or 238-6856
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