Some news items for your consideration.
- Chancellor Holden Thorp has named an AD search committee to name a replacement for Dick Baddour. The committee consists of twelve people who may or may not receive a Little Orphan Annie decoder pin. Among the notables named are former Tar Heel basketball player and current radio analysts Eric Montross, vice chancellor of student affairs Winston Crisp, former UNC football player Alan Caldwell who also served on the board of directors for the Educational Foundation and current board of trustee member John Townsend. Also included on the committee are various Educational Foundation and athletic department folks, a member of the faculty and other folks you will probably not care about after this search is over. The next step in this process after they decide where to have the meetings and the secret meeting password is on whether a search firm should be used. NC State used Parker Executive Search to which they paid $75,000 when in the end someone picked up the phone, called Debbie Yow at Maryland and asked if she wanted to return home to escape Gary Williams' profuse sweating.
In my opinion there is more dog and pony to this process than anything else. The committee will likely create a list of targets, recommend the best choice and it will move from there which is not rocket science. The early indications are the committee will be looking outside UNC for Baddour's replacement which probably rules out half the field right off the bat.
- Speaking of Holden Thorp, he is hanging out with NCAA President Mark Emmert this week at a retreat the NCAA is hosting to discuss critical issues facing collegiate athletics. I don't know if Thorp has any ideas on how to reform college sports but butter up Emmert as much as possible and beg for mercy that would be helpful. Since Thorp has violated NCAA rules himself, that is the least he could do.
- Not that anyone really cares, but my high school alma mater, South Johnston(Benson, NC) was hit with a $400 fine and place on probation by the NCHSAA for use of illegal equipment and body-to-body contact during workouts last month. Head football coach Joe Salas has since resigned leaving a promoted assistant to run the team for the coming season. The parallels between my high school and my favorite college team are disturbing to say the least.