LSU Releases Names of Potential ADs

A preliminary list of potential candidates for the upcoming LSU athletic director vacancy was released by the university on Wednesday.

Among the leaders for the position are current LSU senior associate athletic director Verge Ausberry and Greg McGarity, excutive associate athletic director at the University of Florida.

"It is a work in progress," said Jack Weiss, chairman of the athletic director search committee. "This is the first group of applicants that we'll consider."

The search committee will hold a meeting Friday afternoon, Feb. 22 at 2 p.m. to evaluate the first collection of candidates.

"There are presumably some very good perspective candidates out there who may take some time to decide," Weiuss said. "We don't want to foreclose our consideration of any of them."

Ausberry and McGarity are lauded as the current frontrunners for the position. Also in the hunt are three sitting athletic directoirs, including Tom Collins of Brevard College in North Carolina, Tom Bowen of San Jose State and Jeff Barber of Liberty (Va.) University.

Former Indiana University AD Michael McNeely is also on the list.

Ausberry, who is responsible for daily operations, new building projects, men's basketball and all scheudling for the LSU athletic department, is an alumnus of the university and played linebacker for the Tigers in the late 1980s.

Outgoing AD Skip Bertman said he isn't lobbying for any one person to get the job.

The list, which includes 16 current applicants, includes a wide varity of names including former Olympic Gold Medalist Mark Schultz, who served as the wrestling coach at BYU. Also, former Wal Mart cashier Paul Wright, who once was Southern Illinois' Homecoming King, will also be considered.

Other applicants range from restauranteurs to Burlington Coat factory salesmen. A mortgage loan officer from Georgia, a minor leage professional basketball coach and a self-employed fitness coach are on the list as well as a sports coordinator from the University of Trinidad and Tobago.