Search committee demands secrecy

By J-W Staff Report     Jun 14, 2001

Lips were sealed for the most part after Kansas University’s latest search committee meeting with representatives of headhunting firm Heidrick and Struggles Inc.

Members of the Atlanta, Ga., based firm presented KU’s athletics director search committee with a list of potential candidates on Wednesday.

The number of candidates was not revealed after the four-hour meeting, nor a timetable for interviews.

“We had a wonderful search committee meeting today,” committee chair Reggie Robinson said. “We took the next step in the process that we have outlined for ourselves. It was a very productive meeting. We are moving along I think in a way that we all feel very productive about.

“Beyond that I would only say we have reached a stage in the process where in order to ensure the continued smooth sailing of this process we really need to focus on ensuring that the process remain confidential, not just because we want to be secretive but we want to maintain the integrity of the candidate pool that we pulled together. We think we need to be confidential about the process from this point in order to preserve that integrity.”

In other words, the 16 search committee members have vowed to not reveal the names of the candidates because they likely will drop out of the search when alumni of their current schools learn of an interest in Kansas.

Of the work of Heidrick and Struggles, Robinson said: “We are very pleased with the assistance they’ve provided through this point of the search and have every expectation it will continue to be so.”

Can KU name an AD by the first of July? Bob Frederick’s last day is June 30.

“I’ll just leave it at that,” Robinson said, noting he would have no further comment until an AD is named.

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