SPORTS

Koppes includes club sports representation

Athletic Director search committee advertises position

by Abby Person

The search committee for a new Athletic Director is now one member richer.

Dean of the College Clayton Koppes named senior Matthew Meisenhelder to the committee after club sports athletes expressed concerns that club and intramural sports were not adequately represented on the committee.

Three students, four coaches and three professors and administrators currently make up the search committee. They are directing the process of attracting and selecting a new Athletic Director. Don Hunsinger, the current Athletic Director, chose not to apply for a contract renewal last fall and will be replaced.

"On the one hand, I wanted to keep the composition [of the committee] so it could do work efficiently. On the other hand, it is important to have broad representation with a lot of experience in club sports," Koppes said.

"I'm impressed. It seems like they have taken us into account already," Meisenhelder said.

At an open forum Wednesday, over 20 students gathered to express what qualities they wanted to see in an Athletic Director. Of the 20 students, about 15 were members of the men's ultimate frisbee team.

Most students brought up concerns they had about how club and intramural sports would be viewed by a new Athletic Director. "Some see club sports as leeching off the varsity sports," sophomore Eric LeBlanc said.

Committee member Blake New, women's soccer coach, said, "Someone with a very broad range of attitudes to all levels of skills is very foremost in our minds as we look to select a candidate."

New said the Athletic Director must also be able to stretch a limited budget and represent the department. "The new Athletic Director must be able to stand up for what the department needs to the administration," New said.

Students want to see the struggling athletic department begin to attract a greater percentage of the student body to the gym to participate in athletics. With a broader student base, they are optimisic that it will help established varsity sports develop winning records.

"We need to develop a tradition of winning. We need to find a coach that has turned a program around and who likes a challenge. We need Bill Parcels," senior Jim Woodroffe said.

Senior Tara Ikenouye of the women's rugby team said, "Aside from a nice salary, what do we have to offer this person?"

New said the number of sports offered in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) is very high. He said, "You sell the community. You sell this place as a great place to bring your kids up. There are so many things that are positive about this place."

Many people were also concerned about protecting the City of Oberlin's interests in the selection of a new Athletic Director. Committee chair Heather Hogan was supportive of the public's use of the athletic facilities, but said, "I do believe there are particular pressures on the facilities at particular times. Oberlin is unusual in allowing the amount of access to the public."

"I think this is an exciting time for all of us and hopefully we'll get it right," New said.

To help synthesize these ideas and attract the best candidates, the Dean's office has authorized the search committee to employ a consultant. "Indications are that the administration will go the extra mile to hire the right person," New said about the administration's cooperation with the search committee.

The search committee has developed a job description for the position that includes Division III experience and an understanding of the balance of being a student and an athlete. In addition, the committee is hoping the new athletic director will use the long range planning goals drafted last year in future leadership.

The trustees also spoke about the use of the long range planning report by the athletic department. "Trustees like the campus community have differing goals for Oberlin athletics and physical education," Koppes said. "To me what emerged most singularly was the need to take time to have a holistic assessment of Oberlin's athletic issues."

"I think the strategic planning process provided some new ways of looking at things and perhaps both combined will make Oberlin sports a happier place than it has been in the past," Hogan said. Hogan said she is optimistic that the search will be successful. "I view positively what we are doing. Hopefully we will bring to campus some really fine candidates."

The committee hopes to receive most applications by early April and bring the final three candidates to Oberlin before the end of the semester. The job begins July 1.

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Copyright © 1998, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 126, Number 18, March 13, 1998

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