UNLV "has its finalists for the 12th full-time athletic director in program history," and has narrowed its search "down to three primary candidates," according to sources cited by Taylor Bern of the LAS VEGAS SUN. The top three candidates reportedly are former Florida State AD Randy Spetman, Washington State Senior Associate AD John Johnson and Arkansas-Little Rock AD Chris Peterson. UNLV interim AD Tina Kunzer-Murphy, who stepped in for Jim Livengood in July, has "said several times that she wouldn't take the full-time gig." Spetman was "in town last week for an interview with UNLV President Neal Smatresk and other leaders." Johnson and Peterson "are expected to have interviews in the near future" (LAS VEGAS SUN, 9/18). In Las Vegas, Steve Carp notes the idea "for someone local to sit in the AD’s chair at UNLV is a concept whose time has not yet come." Triple-A PCL Las Vegas 51s President & COO Don Logan and South Point Arena GM Steve Stallworth -- two sports execs with "a long history in Las Vegas -- are not being considered for the vacancy." Logan said, "They never contacted me to sit down with them and discuss it." Stallworth said that he had "talked to a couple of members of the search committee and was told he was nominated to apply for the position." But he added that he "never talked" to Smatresk directly, and that he "elected not to go through the process" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 9/18).
FIVE FOR FIGHTING: In Green Bay, Scott Venci noted the Univ. of Wisconsin-Green Bay yesterday announced "five finalists" for its open AD job. They include interim AD Dan McIver, Minnesota State Mankato AD Kevin Buisman, Bowling Green State Univ. Associate AD/External Relations Mary Ellen Gillespie, Chicago State Univ. AD Dan Schumacher and former Western Illinois Univ. AD Tim Van Alstine. Each candidate will "visit the campus and meet with the selection committee." All five also will "make a public presentation and participate in a 75-minute open forum" (GREEN BAY PRESS-GAZETTE, 9/18).
