Jackets set bar high for new AD

ATLANTA - Georgia Tech's next athletic director will be familiar with the workings of a major college athletics program and understand the "character" of a small, specialized school, Georgia Tech's president said Thursday.

Wayne Clough outlined the criteria the five-person search committee will use in identifying a successor to Dave Braine in a telephone interview. Clough will chair the committee, which officially opened its search Wednesday when Braine announced his retirement.

"The Division I-A athletics world is different than everywhere else," Clough said. "And we want a person who understands curriculum and the academic challenges our student-athletes face. We want someone who will use those challenges and turn them into advantages."

Rumors about potential candidates began circulating as soon as Braine told the media he suffers from Crohn's disease and would step down after nine years at Georgia Tech. The names of several people with ties to the school quickly showed up on Internet message boards or were whispered among alumni.

They ranged from former Georgia Tech coaches such as Bill Curry and Bobby Cremins to former assistant athletic directors who have moved on to senior posts, including Davidson's Jim Murphy, James Madison's Jeff Bourne, Central Florida's Steve Orsini and Georgia State's Mary McElroy.

Curry, Murphy and Bourne confirmed by telephone or e-mail Thursday their interest in the position. McElroy, who left Georgia Tech for the athletic director's post at Georgia State only six months ago, said she would seek the job only if approached by the search committee.

Cremins and Orsini did not return telephone calls.

Clough didn't discount any of those candidates. He also said the committee would honor a request by Braine to consider the members of his staff for the position.

Paul Griffin, who oversees the business and marketing arms of the athletic department, and Bobby Robinson, who manages facilities and game management, are most prominent among them. Griffin is formerly the athletic director at Arkansas State and South Florida while Robinson spent 17 years as Clemson's athletic director.

But the search will be national in scope, Clough said.

Reach Adam Van Brimmer at (404) 589-8424 or adam.vanbrimmer@morris.com.