Bill
McGillis
McGillis
drops, CSULB turns to McNeil
By
Andrew De Lara
Online Forty-Niner
Staff Writer
The leading candidate for Cal State Long Beach’s vacant athletic director
position, Bill McGillis, pulled out of negotiation talks Tuesday after being
offered the position the previous week.
“
We made a very nice offer for him,” said Doug Robinson, vice president
of Student Affairs and chairman of the Committee on Athletics. “He made
a counter offer, but he wanted us to go to the extremes, and we weren’t
ready to accept it.”
According to the Evansville Courier Press, McGillis, the current director of
athletics at the University of Evansville, had no true desire to leave Indiana,
and is also being considered for the vacant director of athletics position
at the University of New Mexico, where he previously served in the athletics
department. However, the relocation of his family was also a factor in his
decision.
McGillis sat atop a small list of finalists narrowed down by the search committee.
Marilyn McNeil, director of athletics at
Monmouth University in New Jersey, and Steve Lopes, senior associate athletic
director at USC, were the second and third finalists for the position, respectively.
As the process moved on, however, it became apparent McNeil was the alternate
choice for the position following several question and answer sessions held
with members of the community, the university and the fan base for CSULB athletics.
“
President F. King Alexander is currently in talks with the next on the finalist
list, Marilyn McNeil,” Robinson said. “We will know more about
the progression of these talks tomorrow and where we will go from here.”
McNeil, who leads a successful Division I athletics program, comes into the
fold with 12 years of experience as a director of athletics. A candidate who
seems to adapt to her environment, McNeil impressed members of the CSULB community
during the question and answer sessions. The questions posed were about her
statements regarding putting the responsibility of fundraising for the department
on the individual coaches.
“
Yes, her words about getting the coaches more involved in fund raising did
get some people upset,” said Dennis Pitts a1969 graduate of CSULB. “But
I thought that we were looking for someone with new ideas and a fresh approach.
We did not want the same old way any longer. I think she has a lot to offer.”
“
It’s a unique situation at Long Beach State,” Pitts said. “As
a state institution, we are bound by caveats, limited salaries and other factors,
so we will only get a certain set or type of candidate that will apply.”
“
My opinion on the A.D. search is that McGillis was the only viable candidate
out of the three,” said Bruce Sparks, a major donor at the Director’s
Circle level. “I am one who thinks our new AD should be someone who will
work their fingers to the bone to make sure our programs have the resources
to compete on a higher level Nationally.”
Many supporters feel the search did not bring the crop of candidates with track
records to elevate their respective programs to new and higher levels.
“
We have plenty of time to make a decision about the future,” Robinson
said. “The position is in the president’s hands. If we don’t
make a deal [with McNeill], I firmly believe that Dr. Alexander will do what
is best for the welfare of the university and our athletics department.”
Many in the booster community would like to see the search committee disbanded
and a professional search firm hired to find a candidate best suited to CSULB
and its complicated, yet potential-rich situation, if a deal with Mc Neill
is not reached.
“
If we are going to [search] again, let’s go to a professional search
group to find a candidate that would commit to The Beach for a long time,” Pitts
said. “We need someone who will make changes- not to keep going the way
we’ve been going at Long Beach State. We need a shake-up at The Beach,
and someone who will be here for 8 to10 years to see us rise to the next level.”
“
I would love to see us elevate to the next level and see more success,” Pitts
said. “I have supported Long Beach State athletics for 40 years we have
seen success and I have all the faith that we will see success in the future.”
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