La. Tech Hires New Ad (derrick Dooley)

[SUMG]

Corinth Eagle alerted me to this today. Anyway, I found the story from The Shreveport Times:

Louisiana Tech is set to name football coach Derek Dooley as its new athletic director today.

Dooley is scheduled to meet with Tech's head coaches at 10:30 apparently to announce the appointment, then Tech president Dan Reneau will address the media at 11 a.m. in the Hall of Fame Room of the Thomas Assembly Center.

An e-mailed release from the Tech media relations department said "Tech officials and administration will not comment on the matter until that time."

While some Tech fans believe that the Dooley hire will be great for the school, others were more reserved.

"I have mixed emotions about this hire," Minden's Dwayne Woodard said. "In today's world, can a head football coach do service to both jobs? I guess we'll find out. I'm not sold that we don't need a full-time athletic director."

Woodard said this is one of the most critical hires in Tech history.

"It will define our Tech athletics for the next 15 to 20 years," Woodard said.

Dooley, a former attorney, who served as an assistant football coach for Nick Saban at LSU and with the Miami Dolphins, is in just his second year at Tech. In his inaugural season as a head football coach, he guided the Bulldogs to a 5-7 overall finish and a 4-4 WAC record.

He'll succeed Jim Oakes, who announced his resignation several weeks ago.

"I felt like we needed a change, but I hope our president will do what he promised he'll do. Otherwise, it doesn't matter who the AD is," Woodard said. "I also hope our fans will open their checkbooks, because that's the biggest thing holding us back in all sports."

The 39-year-old Dooley is the son of legendary Georgia football coach Vince Dooley. He was a walk-on wide receiver at Virginia, but earned a scholarship during his second season.

[NorthTexan95]

"It will define our Tech athletics for the next 15 to 20 years" ... I can almost hear the eyes of the reporters rolling when he said this.

[drex]

And they passed up Rick Villareal, I can't believe it.

[Green to the Bone]

And they passed up Rick Villareal, I can't believe it.

I'm not sure if this is meant as a dig at RV. If so, it's undeserved. Anyway, they couldn't "pass up" someone who didn't apply. RV said he hadn't applied and wouldn't. Do you know something different?