Pac-12 Coordinator of Men's Basketball Officiating ED RUSH resigned Thursday, "only two days after he received a vote of confidence" from Commissioner LARRY SCOTT. Rush "couldn't overcome a torrent of negative publicity stemming from the story that he offered $5,000 or a trip to Cancun to any official who ejected, or called a technical foul, on Arizona coach SEAN MILLER during last month's conference tournament in Las Vegas" (LATIMES.com, 4/4).
LADIES FIRST: FAU cheerleading coach HEATHER HENDERSON on Wednesday "added the director of football operations to her duties." Henderson had been "assisting in recruiting since November." She is believed to be the "only woman director of football operations" at an FBS-level school. SARAH GIGANTINO holds the position at FCS-level school Georgia State Univ. (PALM BEACH POST, 4/4).
CAMPUS CONNECTIONS: Eastern Michigan Univ. named Associate AD and Senior Woman Administrator MELODY REIFEL WERNER interim AD (EMU)....Clemson Univ. named Middle Tennessee State Univ. Associate AD GRAHAM NEFF Associate AD/Business Operations & CFO and Florida State Univ. Assistant AD & Dir of Student-Athlete Academic Services STEVE DUZAN Associate AD/Athletic Academic Services (Clemson)....Bowling Green State Univ. named Associate AD/Compliance & Student-Athlete Services MARK SHOOK interim AD. He replaces GREG CHRISTOPHER, who is leaving to take over as Xavier Univ. AD (BGSU)....Utah State Univ. named Univ. of Arkansas Associate Dir of Academic Support WAQA DAMUNI Assistant AD/Football Operations (Utah State)....The Univ. of New Orleans named CHARLES SMALL Assistant AD/Student-Athlete Enrichment (UNO).
EXECS: Hockey HOF Chair & CEO BILL HAY has announced he "will retire later this year." Selection Committee co-Chair PAT QUINN will "take over" as chair, while President & COO JEFF DENOMME will "add CEO duties to his job title." Hay will step down July 31 and the succession appointments will "become effective Aug. 1" (TSN.ca, 4/4)....Buffalo Communications promoted SCOTT LEIGHTMAN to PR Dir and GLENN GRAY to PR Manager (Buffalo Communications)....The Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau named MIKE SOPHIA Sacramento Sports Commission Dir (SACBEE.com, 4/5).
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