Wright Waters Candidate For Big 12 Commish

bdan2002 · August 30, 2007

Sources: At least four vie for Big 12 post

11:55 PM CDT on Wednesday, August 29, 2007

By CHIP BROWN / The Dallas Morning News

chipbrown@dallasnews.com

At least four candidates to replace Kevin Weiberg as Big 12 commissioner have interviewed this week with the executive committee charged with cutting the list down to two finalists, according to several sources close to the situation.

Those candidates include Rick Chryst, commissioner of the Mid-American Conference; Britton Banowsky, commissioner of Conference USA; Wright Waters, commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference; and interim Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe, according to the sources.

Two sources said the committee also interviewed a candidate from outside of college athletics.

Banowsky, 47, who interviewed Tuesday, said he has withdrawn his name from consideration.

"I advised the committee that I appreciated the opportunity to visit with them, but I don't have interest in the job," said Banowsky, who served as associate commissioner of the Big 12 before taking over Conference USA six years ago. "I love working with Conference USA."

Chryst, 46, who worked in the Southwest Conference in the early 1990s, has been commissioner of the MAC for nine years. Waters, 58, the Sun Belt commissioner since 1998, served as commissioner of the Southern Conference for seven years (1991-97).

Beebe, 50, who was named interim Big 12 commissioner after serving as associate commissioner since 2003, is considered a front-runner. Beebe was commissioner of the Ohio Valley Conference for 14 years (1989-2003) before moving to the Big 12. He is also former director of enforcement at the NCAA (1987-89).

Sources said the two finalists would interview next week with the full Big 12 board of directors, made up of presidents and chancellors from all twelve schools.

The executive committee heading up the search includes Texas Tech president John Whitmore, Texas president William Powers, Missouri chancellor Brady Deaton, Iowa State president Greg Geoffrey and Nebraska chancellor Harvey Perlman, chairman of the Big 12 board of directors.