Emporia State University president Ken Hush announced in a letter to the ESU campus community that an 11-person advisory group has been tasked with making a recommendation for the process to select the next athletics director of ESU. The chairman of the committee is Gary Sherrer, an ESU alum who has formerly served on the Kansas Board of Regents and is a Trustee Emeritus of the school while also receiving the ESU Lifetime Achievement Award. He’ll be joined on the committee by:
- Sarah McKernan, Executive Officer + ESU Alum
- MJ Baker, Head Women’s Basketball Coach
- Tom Billeter, Head Men’s Basketball Coach
- Zach Fief, Assistant Athletics Director
- Erren Harter, City Commissioner and Friend of the University
- Garin Higgins, Head Football Coach + ESU Alum
- Mike Law, ESU Foundation Trustee Emeritus + ESU Alum
- April Rosales, Head Women’s Softball Coach + ESU Alum
- Jamie Sauder, City Commissioner and Friend of the University
- Lee Smith, ESU Athletics Facilities
Erren Harter serves as president of Emporia’s Radio Stations while Jamie Sauder is an owner of the same company.
No timetable has been set for the hiring of the school’s next AD, but in the letter Hush said that he expects to receive a “recommendation for next steps” by July 18. Associate Athletic Directors Colleen Mischke (who also serves as ESU’s Senior Woman Administrator) and Steve Rodecap are currently serving as Interim Co-Athletic Directors after David Spafford announced his retirement from the position earlier this spring.
