Outgoing Purdue AD Morgan Burke will "stay no later" than July '17, but he "could leave sooner depending on when a new athletic director is hired and set to begin," according to Pete DiPrimio of the Ft. Wayne NEWS-SENTINEL. Burke said, "I will do as much as necessary and as long as necessary to pass the baton. Then I’ll head back in the stands. I want to see this handed off in the right manner. It’ll be whatever the board and the president want." Purdue has "formed a search committee" with BOT Chair Michael Berghoff in charge, but how much input Burke will have in finding his replacement "is uncertain." Burke: "The next person needs to come in free and unencumbered of anything that I’ve done here." DiPrimio noted in the meantime, Burke will "continue to work on facility upgrades, with the No. 1 priority being the construction" of the $40M football performance development center. Construction is "set to start this spring and be finished" by August '17. Burke during his tenure hired football coach Joe Tiller, who "won more games and produced more bowl teams than any coach in program history." He also hired men's basketball coach Matt Painter to replace Gene Keady, and the result is a "consistent Big Ten contender and NCAA tourney participant." He also "directed major upgrades to Ross-Ade Stadium, Mackey Arena and more." Burke also "ensured the athletics program was self-sufficient and didn’t need money from the university." However, he "hasn’t been perfect." He "missed by hiring Danny Hope to replace Tiller," as attendance and interest "dropped, and victories didn’t come at a Big Ten contending level." Darrell Hazell, Hope's replacement, has won "just six games in three seasons" (Ft. Wayne NEWS-SENTINEL, 2/17).
WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO: Burke said that when he became AD in '93, he "benefited greatly from a resolution passed by the board of trustees a year earlier that laid out the expectations of the university's leadership." He hopes that his successor "receives that same support and guidance." In Indiana, Nathan Baird notes more than the "professional or athletic background of the next athletic director, Burke believes that understanding between the AD office and those he answers to is critical to success." He said, "The board and president need to think about the type of individual, because the experiences they’ve had is really important. They really have to own that position description" (Lafayette JOURNAL & COURIER, 2/18).
