UNT's Hank Dickenson TAMUCC AD Candidate

MeanGreen61 · May 27, 2006

Four will interview to be new Isles AD

List already was narrowed from 56 to six finalists

By Lee Goddard Caller-Times

May 27, 2006

Flavius Killebrew didn't exactly trim the list of candidates for Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, but he did select four candidates to interview for the athletic director's position.

Killebrew, the university president, announced at a Friday afternoon news conference that Baylor's Bill Chaves, North Texas' Hank Dickenson, Scott Farmer of Troy (Ala.) and Cincinnati's Brian Teter were picked to interview for the job in June.

The four were selected by Killebrew from among six finalists, pared down by a search committee that started with 56 applicants. Killebrew said he did not remember "off the top of my head" the names of the other two candidates. Rice's Mike Pede said earlier this week that he was one of the final six.

Killebrew also said the two who are not visiting have not been eliminated from contention for the job.

"The six that they gave me were pretty strong candidates," Killebrew said. "Each one of them had strengths and weaknesses. But I've said for a long time that you can't ever tell exactly from paper which one is really going to be the one. You have to meet with them and talk to them.

"The four we picked seemed to have a wider variety of experiences and seemed to express things in various ways in their applications that they understood the kind of school we are, and where we're headed."

That would be to the Southland Conference, which A&M-Corpus Christi will formally join on July 1. While Killebrew originally expressed a desire to have a new athletic director in place at that time, he acknowledged with interviews taking place as late as June 20, that is no longer an attainable goal.

In trimming the list, search committee chair Ann DeGaish cited experience as a major factor in determining the final six.

"We looked at a broad range of experience, what they could bring to the program and their personal history, what they've done through those years," DeGaish said. "(Experience) was very critical. In our situation, we're such a young program, that it's important to have strong leadership and good, strong decision-making."

Chaves declined comment through Baylor's media relations department. Dickenson and Teter did not return calls seeking comment.

Farmer, who started off working as a student in the mid-1980s in Georgia Southern's athletic department, felt the job was a great opportunity, and was excited when informed Thursday that he would be interviewed for the position.

"I'm very excited about the opportunity," Farmer said. "It's a growing athletic department, moving in the right direction. That's something I've (been a part of) my whole career."

Chaves has been at Baylor as the associate athletic director for external affairs since 2004. His area of supervision extends over marketing, sales, ticketing and athletic licensing.

Dickenson has been at North Texas since 1995, originally serving as director of communications. In 1999, he was named senior associate athletic director. His duties include overseeing the school's scholarship fund, corporate sales, public relations and promotions.

Since 1999, Farmer has been the senior associate athletic director at Troy (Ala.). Part of his job has been to oversee the budget, and directly is involved with planning and administering Troy's 16 sports, which includes football. Farmer said he started at Georgia Southern in 1986, and became an assistant athletic director in 1988.

Teter is an associate athletic director at Cincinnati, a position he has held since 2003, when he left Conference USA as an associate commissioner. His main duties have been media relations and the development of marketing plans.

The search was set off Feb. 24 when Dan Viola suddenly resigned. Viola had guided A&M-Corpus Christi in the early stages of its athletic program, starting it from scratch when he was named athletic director on May 19, 1997.

He resigned with the program he built on the cusp of officially joining the Southland.

Associate athletic director Brian DeAngelis replaced Viola on an interim basis.

Contact Lee Goddard at 886-3613 or goddardl@ caller.com

foutsrouts · May 27, 2006

Hope we don't lose him. At the very least, I enjoy him on the Mean Green Network. Btw, why do newcomer little schools like Corpus, Dallas Baptist, and even larger new schools like South Florida, Central Florida, and UAB seem to have no problem moving up in athletic stature? For some reason I'm wondering why an excellent academic university which is one hundred and sixteen years old, is located in a 5-6 million person hotbed of athletic talent, and will soon be the third largest university in the Great State of Texas cannot seem to breakout of athletic mediocrity! Funny, then again maybe not so funny. Good weekend to all!

untbowler · May 27, 2006

Four will interview to be new Isles AD
Dickenson has been at North Texas since 1995, originally serving as director of communications. In 1999, he was named senior associate athletic director. His duties include overseeing the school's scholarship fund, corporate sales, public relations and promotions.
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Think he could use some more training maybe in these departments. I am sorry but public relations outside of the true hearted fans is nada, zippo, zero aka: not good

LoveMG · May 28, 2006

Think he could use some more training maybe in these departments. I am sorry but public relations outside of the true hearted fans is nada, zippo, zero aka: not good
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" His duties include overseeing the school's scholarship fund, corporate sales, public relations and promotions."

his plate is too full. all these areas should be separate people. you think many 1-a schools have one guy doing all that?

MeanGreen61 · May 28, 2006

Dickenson could leave North Texas

Senior associate AD interviews with Texas-A&M Corpus Christi

09:46 AM CDT on Sunday, May 28, 2006

By BRETT VITO / Denton Record-Chronicle

One of the cornerstones of the North Texas athletic department could be moving south in the next few months.

Hank Dickenson, UNT’s senior associate athletic director, interviewed with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi officials over the phone recently for the school’s open athletic director position. Dickenson found out Friday that he will be one of four candidates to interview in person for the job in early June.

Dickenson has spent the last 11 years at UNT, including six as senior associate athletic director. He is the longest tenured member of the Mean Green’s athletic administration.

“At the Division I level there are less than 350 athletic director jobs,” Dickenson said. “To receive interest for one of those jobs is something I want to look into for sure. I am very happy here. This is more of a reaction to people in the business telling me that I would be a good fit for the job.”

Bill Chaves of Baylor, Scott Farmer of Troy and Brian Teter of Cincinnati are the other candidates who are scheduled to interview for the opening. A total of 56 people applied for the position, which was left open when Dan Viola resigned on Feb. 24.

Viola was TAMUCC’s first athletic director and helped build the program that is set to join the Southland Conference on July 1.

UNT and TAMUCC share a similar background. UNT was a member of the Southland Conference before returning to Division I-A in football as an independent in 1995. UNT eventually moved to the Big West and finally the Sun Belt Conference.

“The search committee sees some similarities in my resume and what they hope to accomplish,” Dickenson said.

“I have been able to be a part of the process of building the athletic department at North Texas along with a lot of other people. I am happy to know that my qualifications match what they are looking for.”

Dickenson has helped guide UNT during an era of expansion that has included the addition of the Mean Green Athletic Center, the conversion of Liberty Christian High School into UNT athletic facilities and the addition of a softball program.

“The four [candidates] we picked seemed to have a wider variety of experiences and seemed to express things in various ways in their applications that they understood the kind of school we are, and where we are headed,” TAMUCC president Flavius Killebrew told the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.

Dickenson said he hoped to finalize a time to travel to Corpus Christi to interview for the job after the holiday weekend.

DeepGreen · May 28, 2006

"UNT and TAMUCC share a similar background. UNT was a member of the Southland Conference before returning to Division I-A in football as an independent in 1995."

What a sad comparison. NT is being compaired to a program that will join the SLC this summer. Up until now TAMUCC was a D5AAAAAAAAAAABB program. Or something like that.

MeanGreen61 · May 28, 2006

Up until now TAMUCC was a D5AAAAAAAAAAABB program. Or something like that.
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Last season ('05-'06) the Islanders men's basketball team was 20-8 and only two Sun Belt teams finishing with a better rating; WKU & South Alabama. They had a similar record for the '04-'05 season.

DeepGreen · May 29, 2006

Last season ('05-'06) the Islanders men's basketball team was 20-8 and only two Sun Belt teams finishing with a better rating; WKU & South Alabama. They had a similar record for the '04-'05 season.
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'61, that even makes it worse.

foutsrouts · May 29, 2006

'61, that even makes it worse.
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Seems like we've got Yugos, Pintos, and Gremlins snapping at our heels on a regular basis now. If we turn down another opportunity to get them off of our heels, I think me might as well join them again. LET'S BEG TO GO WACKY!!!!!!!!

NT80 · May 29, 2006

"UNT and TAMUCC share a similar background. UNT was a member of the Southland Conference before returning to Division I-A in football as an independent in 1995."
What a sad comparison. NT is being compaired to a program that will join the SLC this summer. Up until now TAMUCC was a D5AAAAAAAAAAABB program. Or something like that.
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Just wait. They will soon add 1-A football, build an on-campus 50K stadium, and be invited to join CUSA along with Texas State and UTSA; all while we wait for the "Game of our History: Smut".

NT91 · May 29, 2006

Just wait. They will soon add 1-A football, build an on-campus 50K stadium, and be invited to join CUSA along with Texas State and UTSA; all while we wait for the "Game of our History: Smut".
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You know it.

MeanGreen61 · May 29, 2006

Just wait. They will soon add 1-A football, build an on-campus 50K stadium, and be invited to join CUSA along with Texas State and UTSA; all while we wait for the "Game of our History: Smut".
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TAMU-CC is studying the feasibility of adding football

A&M-CC taps firm for opinion on football

Consultant's study estimated to last at least six months

By Lee Goddard Caller-Times

May 5, 2006

The next step in Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's look into football is to put the ball in someone else's hands.

A&M-Corpus Christi, examining whether football could be a possibility on campus, has decided on NACDA Consulting to conduct a thorough report on the feasibility of fielding a football team. Arthur Haas, the university's chairman of the football consulting committee, said NACDA had everything needed in a football consultant.

FULL ARTICLE

http://www.caller.com/ccct/islanders/artic...4675819,00.html

Edited May 29, 2006 by MeanGreen61