In a move that could enhance the profile of a university, Fordham president Rev. Joseph McShane has decided to change the athletics management structure and have the new athletic director report directly to him, two highly placed sources at the university told The Post.
The move should allow Fordham to attract an elite athletic director whose mandate will be to elevate the Rams athletic teams to the level of its academic success. It is the most important decision regarding athletics that Fordham has made in the last 20 years, a move designed to have the university walk alongside the likes of Boston College, Georgetown and Notre Dame.
Over the last 6-to-8 months, several members of the board of trustees have discussed with McShane the importance of creating a management structure that has succeeded at many other universities. Under the current structure, the athletic director at Fordham reports to the vice president of student affairs, Jeff Gray, who then brings recommendations to Rev. McShane.
The job of overseeing two departments of such importance is not a one-man job. Both sources were clear to point out this was not an anti-Gray move. Gray has been an effective overseer of student life, but running two departments at the same time simply is not a structure that gives Fordham the best chance at success.
“This is a management structure issue, not a personality issue,’’ one source said.
That structure has caused significant friction within the department. Many of Fordham’s athletic programs have slid significantly with the men’s basketball team, the Rams’ crown jewel, recently ranked the worst job in the Atlantic 10. Meanwhile, other Atlantic 10 schools such as Dayton, St. Louis and Temple, which is moving to the Big East, have improved facilities and seen great success.
The Post has learned that several high-level candidates have engaged in fact-finding conversations with friends in the business regarding the Fordham job. They have expressed frustration over not being able to get a clear understanding of the commitment to athletics Fordham is willing to make.
There is a strong likelihood the search will now heat up. Potential candidates such as Larry Keating, the special assistant to the athletic director at Kansas, have been apprised of the opening. Keating, who was at Seton Hall when the Pirates made their run to the Final Four, was out of the office yesterday.
Marquette deputy athletic director Mike Broeker, who is extremely well respected and has been an integral part of the Golden Eagles rise to the upper tier of the Big East, also has been apprised of the job. Reached at his office yesterday, Broeker, who worked for the NBA in New York for four years, politely declined to comment.
Recently The Post reported that Villanova senior associate athletic director Bob Steitz had been apprised of the job. These three candidates represent the elite level of athletic administrator that have the NCAA experience needed to lead Fordham forward.
Gray sent an email to The Post on Wednesday saying, “This is a personnel matter, and the confidentiality of the process and the candidates involved is of primary importance.’’