EIU Media Relations

Search for EIU Athletic Director Gearing Up

The search for a permanent athletic director at Eastern Illinois University is expected to begin later this month with the naming of a search committee and the appointment of a committee chair.

EIU President Bill Perry will begin contacting various constituencies Monday, calling for nominations of faculty, staff and students interested in serving on the search committee.

"We are soliciting a number of names to ensure a sense of balance from a broad representation of stakeholders," he said.

Nominations are due to Dan Nadler, vice president for student affairs, by Friday, Sept. 28.

The proposed composition of the search committee calls for one representative each from Academic Affairs, Admissions, the Alumni Association, Business Affairs, External Relations, Student Affairs, the Panther Club, the Intercollegiate Athletics Advisory Board, the Student-Athlete Advisory Board and the Council of Deans. Eastern's Faculty Senate, Staff Senate and Student Senate will each have one representative, while athletics will be represented by one head coach and one senior athletic administrator.

The tentative timeline for the athletic director's search calls for the search committee to convene in October to begin the national search. Campus interviews would likely occur in February or March, with the new athletic director scheduled to begin employment in July.

Ken Baker, who has served as director of Campus Recreation at Eastern since 2000, is currently serving as full-time interim athletic director.