SB Nation Kansas City - Bill Self, Turner Gill Welcome New Kansas AD Sheahon Zengerhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48935/kc-fave.png2011-01-04T08:52:09-06:00http://kansascity.sbnation.com/rss/stream/12759042011-01-04T08:52:09-06:002011-01-04T08:52:09-06:00Bill Self, Turner Gill Welcome New Kansas Athletic Director Sheahon Zenger
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<p>The Kansas Jayhawks football and basketball coaches were on hand to hear the newest athletic director at Kansas get introduced for the first time. Sheahon Zenger, former Illinois State athletic director who has hired into the same position at Kansas, spoke with reporters for the first time since officially being introduced as the next athletic director at Kansas.</p>
<p>Both Bill Self and Turner Gill said he <a href="http://www2.kusports.com/news/2011/jan/04/warm-welcome-self-gill-quick-praise-new-boss/">appeared to be the right man for the job.</a></p>
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"(He's) prepared, excited, energized. It's just going to be a matter of hours before I think the morale of this place has been improved," Self said.</p>
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<p>"It was a great speech," Gill said. "More importantly, he's a solid person who I think is very much so the best man for us to move forward in this athletic department. I think our fans will enjoy him. I'm excited to have him be a part of it. You can obviously feel a sense of his coaching (experience). I know he's a very organized person. I've heard nothing but great things from people who know him and have worked with him. "</p>
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<p>Zenger agreed that Self was the face of KU's athletic department and rightfully so with one of the best teams in the country. Gill probably has more to prove to Zenger moving forward as his team rebounds from a disappointing season. </p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-jayhawks/2011/1/4/1913049/bill-self-turner-gill-kansas-athletic-director-sheahon-zengerJoel Thorman2011-01-03T07:03:44-06:002011-01-03T07:03:44-06:00Kansas Hires Illinois State's Sheahon Zenger As Next Athletic Director
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<p>The Kansas Jayhawks have a new athletic director. Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little confirmed over the weekend that Sheahon Zenger will be the next athletic director at Kansas. </p>
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<p>"With his experience and leadership skills, Sheahon Zenger is the best choice to lead Kansas Athletics into the future. He is exactly who we need as athletics director, working to ensure that every Jayhawk team succeeds on the field and in the classroom, as well as making sure our programs operate with the utmost integrity," said Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little in a statement.</p>
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<p>If he were the best choice he would have been offered the job first but that's simply not accurate. A search committee originally targeted Bubba Cunningham before he decided to change his mind at the last minute and stay with Tulsa. So at best Zenger is the second choice.</p>
<p>But that's OK. he has a solid history in the area and was even a football coach at one point. <a href="http://www2.kusports.com/news/2011/jan/02/ku-names-sheahon-zenger-new-athletics-director/">Here's part of his resume</a>before Illinois State, where he is athletic director.</p>
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Prior to joining ISU, Zenger was the associate athletics director for development at Kansas State from 2002-05. Before that, he spent two years as KSU's assistant athletics director for major gifts and also spent a year with the KSU College of Business as director of development. </p>
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<p>Kansas originally had middle of the spring semester as a target date to hire someone and thought they had Cunningham earlier this month when we was offered the job before he turned it down.</p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-jayhawks/2011/1/3/1910649/kansas-hires-illinois-states-sheahon-zenger-as-next-athletic-directorJoel Thorman2010-12-21T07:30:35-06:002010-12-21T07:30:35-06:00Kansas Chancellor Says Media Coverage Is Making AD Search More Difficult
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<p>Kansas' search for a new athletic director continues after the Jayhawks identified Bubba Cunningham as its target two weeks ago but he later backed out and agreed to a contract extension with Tulsa. At one point the committee hoped to have the search wrapped up by mid-December but the Cunningham situation may have delayed that.</p>
<p>Kansas Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little spoke briefly last week, according to the<i> Lawrence Journal World</i>, and said the <a href="http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/dec/20/heard-hill-chancellor-speaks-little-about-d-search/">media coverage isn't helping the search</a>.</p>
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<p>"The coverage is damaging to the search," she said, when it exposes candidates before they’re committed to the university. "I think it becomes costly for candidates to be involved. … I don’t think it’s helpful to our search and I think makes our search more difficult."</p>
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<p>If you were ever wondering why schools spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on professional search firms, this is why. It's all about keeping things private and secret. Clearly, that's not the case here as multiple reports have come out with candidates and then the detailed accounts of the Cunningham experience.</p>
<p>If Gray-Little is looking to point the finger at anyone -- and apparently she is if she has public statements on it -- then it should go to the search committee, (reportedly) listed below:</p>
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<p>Chaired by Ray Evans, the managing partner of Pegasus Capital Management in Overland Park; Kenneth Audus, dean of the KU School of Pharmacy; KU baseball coach Ritch Price; Linda Ellis Sims, an account executive with ExxonMobile Corporation; Debbie Van Saun, KU associate athletics director/senior women's administrator; and Thomas Ward, president and CEO of Russell Stover Candies in Kansas City.</p>
<p>If information is getting out, there are your sources. She said no candidate had backed out because they had been identified but it's happened to her in other searches.</p>
<p>Ultimately though I'm not sure I understand her comments and what they're supposed to mean. Is Gray-Little asking the media not to report on this? Is she making sure everyone knows how difficult this search is? Is she setting KU fans up to be disappointed (and indirectly blaming it on the media)? Is she indicating the search will now take longer? Blaming it on the media is like blaming it on the referees. Nothing good comes from it.</p>
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https://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-jayhawks/2010/12/21/1889160/kansas-athletic-director-search-bubba-cunninghamJoel Thorman2010-12-16T16:57:07-06:002010-12-16T16:57:07-06:00Bubba Cunningham Staying At Tulsa; Will Not Be Kansas' Next Athletic Director
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<p>There are surprises and then <a href="http://twitter.com/EricBaileyTW/status/15532510897242112">there's this</a>.</p>
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<p><span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">Bubba Cunningham will remain at the University of Tulsa, agrees to new contract with school.</span></span></span></p>
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<p>Cunningham was <a href="http://kansascity.sbnation.com/2010/6/10/1511863/lew-perkins-resigns-kansas-athletic-director-2011-school-year">reported to be headed to Kansas </a>to be their next athletic director but that's not happening. The move to Kansas was reported by multiple news outlets -- Sports By Brooks,<i> Tulsa World, Lawrence Journal-World </i>and<i> Kansas City Star. </i></p>
<p>If I had to guess, Cunningham or Kansas officials, at one point, expected the move to Kansas to happen, and that's why the reports came out. On Wednesday, Sports By Brooks reported that Kansas and Cunningham were working out contract details. Perhaps something went wrong in those negotiations or perhaps Tulsa matched it.</p>
<p>What we do know is that Cunningham has <a href="http://www.tulsahurricane.com/genrel/121610aaa.html">now received a contract extension</a> at Tulsa, Tulsa President Steadman Upham announced.</p>
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<p>"Bubba and I have a great partnership," Upham said "and his service to TU has been marked by exceptional progress by our student-athletes, including 31 Conference USA championships. We're on a roll and I'm confident we'll continue to build on our remarkable momentum and national visibility."</p>
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<p>It would appear that Cunningham used the Kansas reported offer as leverage to get a new deal from Tulsa.</p>
<p>Basically, Kansas may have just been worked over pretty bad.</p>
<p>Back to the drawing board for Kansas.</p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-jayhawks/2010/12/16/1880802/bubba-cunningham-tulsa-kansas-athletic-directorJoel Thorman2010-12-15T10:20:12-06:002010-12-15T10:20:12-06:00Bubba Cunningham, Kansas Reportedly Finalizing Contract As Next Athletic Director
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/kansas-jayhawks">Kansas Jayhawks</a> are close to getting their next athletic director.</p>
<p>Reportedly.</p>
<p>Sports By Brooks, who first reported the news that <a href="http://kansascity.sbnation.com/2010/6/10/1511863/lew-perkins-resigns-kansas-athletic-director-2011-school-year">Tulsa's Bubba Cunningham </a>would be the next athletic director at Kansas, says the<a href="http://twitter.com/SPORTSbyBROOKS/status/15071715533004800"> contract between the two sides is being finalized</a>.<a id="status_star_15071715533004800" class="fav-action non-fav" title="favorite this tweet"> </a></p>
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</span> <span class="entry-content">Bubba and KU Chancellor finalizing contract this morning. It will happen regardless of when it's announced.</span></span></span></p>
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<p>Since Brooks' original report, the <i>Tulsa World, Lawrence Journal-World</i> and <i>Kansas City Star</i> have reported Cunningham is the next athletic director at Kansas.</p>
<p>The reaction on sports talk radio here in Kansas City following the original reports of Cunningham to KU have been mixed. Some have said: "Who?" While others have said people in the know have good things to say about Cunningham.</p>
<p>We'll see how it works when KU finally announces the deal.</p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-jayhawks/2010/12/15/1877806/bubba-cunningham-kansas-athletic-director-contractJoel Thorman2010-12-14T19:32:02-06:002010-12-14T19:32:02-06:00Bubba Cunningham Doesn't Confirm Or Deny He's Next Athletic Director At Kansas
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<p>Multiple reports have come in on the Bubba-Cunningham-to-Kansas story. The Tulsa athletic director was <a href="http://kansascity.sbnation.com/2010/6/10/1511863/lew-perkins-resigns-kansas-athletic-director-2011-school-year">reported to be leaving for KU to become the Jayhawks next athletic director</a>. The story was first reported by Sports By Brooks and later reported by the <i>Tulsa World, Lawrence Journal World</i> and <i>Kansas City Star</i>.</p>
<p>The Kansas City Star's J. Brady McCollough writes that Cunningham is the choice to replace Lew Perkins as Kansas' AD but a deal to hire him isn't quite complete yet. Brooks' original report stated that a deal had yet to be consummated but Kansas could announce the move as soon as Wednesday.</p>
<p>Cunningham <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/2010/12/14/2519951/ku-names-new-athletic-director.html">appeared on Tulsa sports radio on Tuesday night</a> said, for now, there was no change in his status.</p>
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<p>Cunningham, speaking on sports talk radio station KTBZ-AM in Tulsa on Tuesday night, said he was "absolutely" still the athletic director at Tulsa.</p>
<p>"I do not talk about it until there’s a change in employment status, and there's not a change in employment status," Cunningham said.</p>
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<p>Clearly he qualified his statement that he's "absolutely" the AD at Tulsa at this time. It sounds like Cunningham is headed to Kansas. Unless there's a serious misinformation campaign and reporters from Kansas City, Lawrence and Tulsa have been fooled, then you can expect Cunningham to be named AD at Kansas shortly.</p>
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https://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-jayhawks/2010/12/14/1876917/bubba-cunningham-kansas-athletic-director-tulsaJoel Thorman2010-12-14T17:08:39-06:002010-12-14T17:08:39-06:00Bubba Cunningham To Be Kansas' Next Athletic Director, Multiple Reports Say
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<p>On Tuesday afternoon <a href="http://kansascity.sbnation.com/2010/6/10/1511863/lew-perkins-resigns-kansas-athletic-director-2011-school-year">Sports By Brooks</a> reported that Tulsa's Bubba Cunningham would be the next athletic director at Kansas. Since then, both Kansas and Tulsa media outlets have reported the same.</p>
<p><a href="http://www2.kusports.com/news/2010/dec/14/sources-bubba-cunningham-be-kus-next-athletic-dire/">Lawrence Journal World</a>:</p>
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<p>University of Tulsa athletic director Bubba Cunningham will be introduced as the new AD at the University of Kansas on Wednesday or Thursday, sources told the Tulsa World.</p>
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<p><a href="http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/article.aspx?subjectid=2&articleid=20101214_94_0_Univer119964">Tulsa World</a>:</p>
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<p>Sources indicated Tuesday that the search committee's top choice, Tulsa University athletic director Lawrence "Bubba" Cunningham, will be named the next Kansas University athletic director, succeeding Lew Perkins.</p>
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<p>So it looks like it's going to be official. According to Brooks' report, Kansas could announce the move as soon as Wednesday.</p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-jayhawks/2010/12/14/1876649/bubba-cunningham-kansas-athletic-director-tulsaJoel Thorman2010-12-14T15:23:18-06:002010-12-14T15:23:18-06:00Tulsa's Bubba Cunningham Will Reportedly Be Kansas' Next Athletic Director
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<p>We've been waiting to hear who the next athletic director will be at the University of Kansas. The answer: Tulsa's Bubba Cunningham. Sports By Brooks reports that a Big 12 athletic director tells him Cunningham is the choice and they are <a href="http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/kansas-to-name-tulsa-athletic-director-new-ad-29335">expected to announce the move as soon as Wednesday</a>.</p>
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<p>Cunningham, who I first identified as a candidate for the job on <a href="http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/kentuckys-barnhart-finalist-for-kansas-ad-job-29240" target="_blank">November 14</a>, has spent five years as Tulsa Athetic Director after working for three years in a similar capacity at Ball State.</p>
<p>Before Ball State, Cunningham worked in the Notre Dame athletic department business office for 13 years after obtaining his undergraduate degree and MBA from ND. He also played on the Irish tennis team.</p>
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<p>Kansas has been working to replace Lew Perkins who retired this fall. A search committee has said recently that they're getting closer and suggested a hire could be made as soon as the middle of December. Originally Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little said it could take as long as the middle of the spring semester.</p>
<p>We now await word from Kansas on the report.</p>
https://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-jayhawks/2010/12/14/1876437/tulsa-bubba-cunningham-kansas-athletic-directorJoel Thorman