Hiring an athletic director at the Division I level requires a certain amount of tact. If candidates’ names are released to the public, it could potentially weaken the pool of applicants.
As was the case in 2012 when Ball State hired outgoing athletic director Bill Scholl, the university’s current search is closed. A 12-person committee will narrow a larger number of applicants to three to five potential hires that will later interview with Ball State president Paul Ferguson.
The public will not learn the applicants’ names until the hire is completed in late December or early January. This allows sitting athletic directors to pursue the job without risk of stressing their current employment.
“The only negative is if you don’t get the job, and the world knows you were applying,” Scholl said. “Embarrassing might be too strong a word, but you get the idea.”
According to a 2012 Ball State press release, more than 90 individuals applied for the position Scholl was later hired to fill. He served as Notre Dame’s deputy athletic director at the time, so the closed search didn’t impact his decision to apply.
Deputy athletic directors are able to participate in open searches because their supervisors often help them in securing the positions, Scholl said.
“If you’re a sitting athletic director and it’s an open search, that gets a little bit tricker,” he said. “Sometimes confidentiality is better for that person.”
Ferguson made the search confidential to ensure Ball State attracts top candidates. Considering the late upswing in Ball State’s athletic success, the number of applicants will likely be even higher than in 2012. That leaves a lot of responsibility on the search committee’s shoulders.
“We do want to maintain the momentum,” Ferguson said. “I think Bill [Scholl] has done a great job of bringing the athletics department to this position.”
The committee was chosen with hopes of having an array of voices from individuals “deeply invested” in Ball State athletics. Interim athletic director Brian Hardin will serve on the committee, in addition to women’s basketball head coach Brady Sallee, other faculty, alumni and one Ball State student.
Ferguson said there was interest in the position as early as last week.
“As soon as Bill [Scholl] announced that he was going to Marquette, my phone was ringing,” he said. “People see Ball State as a really unique place to be. It’s on a positive trajectory, it’s a great educational institution, so it has a great reputation.”
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