Shama: Gopher AD List May Include Hawkeye

per Shama:

A lot of names are being mentioned as candidates to become the Gophers’ next athletics director but one drawing minimal speculation is Gene Taylor, the No. 2 leader in the Iowa Hawkeyes Athletic Department.

Taylor was athletics director at North Dakota State for 13 years prior to joining the Hawkeyes in 2014. Taylor, 58, helped put in place the Bison football program that is working on a run of five consecutive FCS national championships.

Taylor has an extensive background in athletics administration dating back to his first job at the United States Naval Academy. His career commitment to female and male athletes, involvement with funding to improve facilities, success with football, and his understanding of this geographic region should resonate with Turnkey Search, the firm retained by the University of Minnesota to identify and vet candidates.

Multiple sources report Turnkey is interviewing candidates this week in the Midwest and East. One source told Sports Headliners over a dozen candidates will be interviewed in the first round of talks. Eventually Turnkey will vet those who the firm believes are the best candidates and bring those names to a 16-person search committee of volunteers headed by co-chairs Katrice Albert and Perry Leo. Albert is the University’s vice president for equity and diversity. Leo is professor of aerospace engineering and the U faculty athletics representative.

http://shamasportsheadliners.com/

Go Gophers!!

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/dc88...wsuit-assails-iowa-ads-record-gender-equality

One reason for the minimal speculation is probably this; but you can see why Taylor would look for an exit from Iowa:

While the filing had been expected, the complaint provides the most details yet of alleged discrimination at a university that had once been a national leader in women's athletic equality. It alleges that six female coaches in sports from volleyball to softball and the department's most powerful woman, senior associate athletic director Jane Meyer, have been forced out under Barta.

However, possibly through no fault of his own, Taylor's name comes up:

Barta has said that he reassigned Meyer, Griesbaum's partner, outside the department in December 2014 on the advice of legal counsel after Griesbaum was taking steps toward a lawsuit. Months earlier, he created a new deputy director position and filled it with Gene Taylor, who was brought in at a salary $70,000 more than Meyer.

That's an awful lot of smoke for a search committee to clear.