Utah announces search committee for next AD

The process to replace Dr. Chris Hill as the Utah Athletic Director is underway, and Utah announced the committee that will help identify his replacement. Hill has some really big shoes to fill, so the responsiblity of this group of people is immense. I really like the individuals they have named to this committee, because it’s very diverse and covers so many aspects of the school, which makes a ton of sense.

Liz Abel being on the crew is a no brainer, as she really has helped drive the department for years, and keep media fools in line. I think having someone like Nate Orchard, the former Mayor of Sack Lake City, and local kid is great. It’s important to have input of the student athletes, especially one from a local high school to understand what’s important to them. I also think it’s awesome that Lynne Roberts is on the list. She has done great things with the women’s basketball team, and she appears to have them heading in the right direction. I have a feeling she is going to have a big voice on campus over the years.

It will be interesting to see how this process moves along, and what news we’re going to hear over the coming weeks and months.

Here’s the list below:

• Liz Abel, senior associate athletic director
• Lisa Eccles, community member and philanthropist
• Christian Gardner, university trustee
• Jeff Herring, chief human resources officer
• Harriet Hopf, interim associate vice president for faculty affairs and professor of anesthesiology
• Nate Orchard, former U athlete
• Karen Paisley, associate dean, College of Health
• David Parkin, university trustee
• Robert Payne, associate general counsel
• Robert Pendleton, associate professor of medicine and chief medical quality officer
• Lynne Roberts, head coach, women’s basketball
• Gordon Wilson, associate vice president for administrative services
• Manny Hendrix, associate director for development
• Patti Ross, the U’s chief strategy officer