FAU AD Pat Chun is "set to be named" the new AD at Washington State, according to sources cited by Kyle Bonagura of ESPN.com. Chun has been the AD at FAU since '12 and "will be the first Asian-American" AD at a Power 5 school. Chun replaces Bill Moos, who left WSU in October to become Nebraska AD (ESPN.com, 1/16). In Spokane, Theo Lawson notes Chun's hiring "comes a few weeks ahead of schedule," as WSU President Kirk Schulz had previously "cited a Feb. 1 target date." Schulz also said that he would "examine both internal and external candidates." Lawson notes Chun "doesn’t have any apparent ties to WSU or the Pac-12," but he previously "spent 15 years working at the Power 5 level, holding a variety of positions at his alma mater, Ohio State." Schulz cited the "importance of bringing in somebody with a strong fundraising background." That is a field in which Chun "appears to be well versed." Twice in the past three years, Chun "helped the FAU football program reach record season ticket sales and renewals" (Spokane SPOKESMAN-REVIEW, 1/17). In West Palm Beach, Jake Elman notes Chun was responsible for some of FAU’s "more notable hirings," including football coach Lane Kiffin in December '16. Chun also "played an important role in the creation of the Boca Raton Bowl and helped move" the school into Conference USA in late '12 (PALM BEACH POST, 1/17). In Seattle, Stefanie Loh notes WSU's AD search committee "interviewed eight finalists last week in a central location" and had "kept its search process under tight wraps" (SEATTLE TIMES, 1/17).
