Who Will Replace Kevin White?

Sorry we’ve been short on updates this weekend in wake of the big news that Kevin White has left Notre Dame to be the AD at Duke, but here’s a quick look at who people are listing as potential replacements.

Eric Hansen of the SBT published this list today:

  • Mike Bobinski: In his second year of his second stint as athletic director at Xavier University.
  • Rick Chryst: Mid-American Conference commissioner since May of 1999.
  • Lawrence “Bubba” Cunningham: Athletic director at Tulsa since late 2005.
  • Joel Maturi: Athletic director at Minnesota since July of 2002.
  • Bob Minnix: Senior associate athletic director at Washington State since February.
  • Bernard Muir: Georgetown athletic director since July 2005.
  • Steve Orsini: Athletic director at SMU since June of 2006.
  • Gene Smith: Ohio State athletic director since 2005.
  • Internal candidates: Interim AD Missy Conboy, John Heisler and Bill Scholl.

David Haugh of the Sun Times had a very similar list as well.

  • Bubba Cunningham, Tulsa athletic director.
  • Steve Orsini, Southern Methodist athletic director.
  • Mike Bobinski, Xavier athletic director.
  • John Heisler, Notre Dame senior associate athletic director.
  • Gene Smith, Ohio State athletic director.
  • Bernard Muir, Georgetown athletic director.

Michael Rothstein’s list had all of the same names as well.

  • Missy Conboy, deputy athletics director.
  • Stan Wilcox, deputy athletics director.
  • John Heisler, senior associate athletic director:
  • Bill Scholl, senior associate athletic director.
  • Steve Orsini, SMU Athletic Director.
  • Gene Smith, Ohio State Athletic Director.
  • Rick Chryst, MAC Commissioner.
  • Mike Bobinski, Xavier Athletic Director.
  • Sandy Barbour, Cal Athletic Director.
  • Bubba Cunningham, Tulsa Athletic Director.

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10 Comments

  1. Remember that an AD isn’t just about football. They have to keep track of overall athletics. I would like to see some one that can maintain the historical integrity of ND athletics and not try to put jumbotrons or emblems on helmets AND who can get a new basketball stadium built.

  2. Kudos, OC Domer, “Winning the right way is more important.” And only ND people understand this. One would need to under go psychiatric evaluation to emulate OSU’s infamous modus operandi. Not to mention the sponge cake schedule that has led to two recent BCS National Championship Blow-outs. How many times have we heard getting beat by 40+ points that we don’t deserve to be there? So why does OSU get a free pass? Is a third time a charm this year as predicted by the pundits at ESPN? With their weak schedule I’ll be surprised.

  3. My vote goes to the guy that would turn the football around and be a FORCE on campus. Just imagine the pep rallies with this guy behind the mic…LOU HOLTZ…with him as AD he would HAVE to stay out of Weis’s way on the field. Although they prolly share the same thoughts on alot of things. We are a football school and we need to get back to that. I cheer for all the teams from ND and I hope the bball team has a great year but ND football is #1 in my heart. GO IRISH!!!!!

  4. As a lifelong ND fan, and an SMU alum I had to laugh at the thought of Orsini going to ND. I actually do believe he’s done good for SMU. He did manage to grab June Jones, which was significant, as well as hire Doherty, who I feel was a fairly solid hire. We seem to be headed in a much better direction than we were under Copeland (who I loath to this day).

    On an unrelated note, I seriously question the idea of sticking to the ND family. Emotional tsunami’s over football happen at other places (not necessarily SMU). Honestly I think Gene Smith has got to be a top candidate myself. He has the best/only record as an AD in a top flight Athletics School. While OSU does lack many of the Academic/Ethic standards that ND has, they do have winning traditions. Especially against MU.

  5. We need an ND person for the AD position so he or she will be able to deal with this emotional tsunami concerning football.

  6. I’ve seen the Ohio State AD in several articles, and that worries me, since the Buckeyes have not been known for high academic standards for athletes, or high behavioral standards for athletes. Before I hired anyone out of the Ohio State athletic department I would need some very serious convincing that the candidate understood these very key difference between OSU and ND. Winning is important. Winning the right way is more important.

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