LSU Chancellor Michael Martin yesterday announced that AD Joe Alleva "will remain in that position after being courted" by the Univ. of Tennessee, according to Keith Peneguy of the New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE. Martin said, "We determined it was in the best interests of the university to make him a sufficiently fair offer and an opportunity to remain at LSU. We are happy that he has chosen to keep Baton Rouge as his home." Martin added that a "new compensation package will be presented for approval by the Board of Supervisors at a future meeting." Alleva said, "This is not an opportunity that I pursued, and Tennessee is a wonderful place, but in the end I felt that Chancellor Martin has a great vision for LSU" (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 7/27). In Baton Rouge, Scott Rabalais notes LSU in April "extended Alleva's contract three years through June 2016 without adding any compensation to his existing $550,000 salary." Martin said that he "didn’t know if Tennessee’s administration officially extended a formal job offer, but that 'my sense from a variety of sources was that they were very serious.'" He added that he "wanted to make Alleva a fair offer while avoiding a bidding war with Tennessee" (Baton Rouge ADVOCATE, 7/27).
ON THE WAY OUT? In Connecticut, Mike DiMauro cites sources as saying that UConn President Susan Herbst is "working on a deal to negotiate athletic director Jeff Hathaway's departure." Hathaway, who "operates under a six-year, rollover contract (through 2017) with a base salary of $351,717, will receive a buyout." Once the parties "reach an agreeable monetary figure," the sources said that Hathaway "will leave the job he's had for the last eight years." One source said that the process "could take 'a few weeks' and likely longer." The source added that it is "doubtful Hathaway will be the athletic director by the time classes begin in September" (New London DAY, 7/24). In N.Y., Pete Thamel notes consulting firm MGT of America is "conducting a review of the athletic department, at a cost of $28,400" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/27).
