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Purdue AD Burke To Step Down With Unclear Legacy After Contract Expires In '17

Purdue AD Morgan Burke on Thursday announced that he will "retire after his contract expires" on June 30, 2017, according to a front-page piece by Nathan Baird of the Lafayette JOURNAL & COURIER. Burke, who has spent 23 years in his current role, "made his plans known to university leaders 'more than a year ago.'" Purdue BOT Chair Michael Berghoff will "lead the national search for Burke's successor." He will "oversee a search committee full of current and former Purdue student-athletes, assembled by Purdue President Mitch Daniels." The committee includes WNBA Indiana Fever coach Stephanie White, Pro Football HOFer Rod Woodson, former NFLer Matt Light and Senior Associate AD/Development & Sports and Senior Woman Administrator Nancy Cross. Burke is "the dean of Big Ten ADs and one of the longest-tenured" in D-I. Among FBS institutions, only Utah's Chris Hill, Florida's Jeremy Foley and Wake Forest's Ron Wellman "have been in their positions longer." Purdue is one of seven D-I public athletic programs that "requires no financial subsidies from students or taxpayers." During Burke's tenure, Purdue has "invested nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in athletic facility construction and renovation projects." Indiana AD Fred Glass said that Burke "bridged the gap from the traditional athletic director role to the CEO model that exists today" (Lafayette JOURNAL & COURIER, 2/12).

THE LEGACY: In Indiana, Ken Thompson writes it is the "decline" of the football program since '04 that "some will point to as Burke's legacy." Others will "point to the infrastructure improvements that were sorely needed when he took over" in '93. Burke "could do no wrong for a while" after a '99 national championship in women's basketball and "strong coaching hires" like former football coach Joe Tiller and women's golf coach Devon Brouse. But like Tiller and former men's basketball coach Gene Keady, Burke's "magic touch began to fade." Priority No. 1 for the next AD is "getting the football program to not only become competitive again but a contender to win the Big Ten Conference's West Division." The timing of Burke's retirement announcement "gives Purdue plenty of time to get the right person for the job" (Lafayette JOURNAL & COURIER, 2/12).

OTHER BIG TEN NEWS: In Minneapolis, Joe Christensen writes Minnesota VP/HR Kathy Brown on Thursday during a Board of Regents audit committee presentation"strongly recommended using a search firm again" to hire the university's next AD. UM President Eric Kaler "agreed, even though the university used a search firm when it hired former AD Norwood Teague." Kaler said that he "still plans to have the new athletic director in place by July 1" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 2/12). Meanwhile, Illinois interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson on Thursday said that the school "aims to hire a new AD by the end of February." Wilson previously had said that she "hoped to make a hire" before a late January BOT meeting" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 2/12).

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