Norwood Teague is the only finalist for the Gophers athletic director position and is meeting with the search committee this morning. During the interview process he’s encountered many questions but the truth is his effectiveness as Minnesota’s athletic director will come down to this:
How effective will Teague be in hiring and firing coaches?
The best coaches build winning programs. Winning sells tickets, private suites, signage and increases donations. It also builds brand awareness and a sparkling image.
As with any skill, some individuals are better at identifying the right hires than others. For decades now the Gophers have often tripped up trying to hire the right athletic directors, and also the best coaches in the high visibility sports of football and basketball. Minnesota fans have only to look across the border to see where spot-on hires in Wisconsin Badgers athletics have made a night and day difference.
Teague, who has been the athletic director at Virginia Commonwealth University since 2006, has a strong background in business including marketing. Those skills no doubt attracted University of Minnesota president Eric Kaler and so, too, did VCU’s basketball reputation.
Teague hired Shaka Smart and he’s turned VCU into a national basketball success story. If Teague can consistently show hiring expertise at Minnesota he will ensure a legacy that will place him at the top among the school’s athletic directors since World War II.
Kaler had told Sports Headliners on Saturday the announcement of the new athletic director could come within days. Yesterday the University released a statement saying Teague was the only finalist. It seems likely a news conference will be held soon confirming the official hiring of Teague whose name has been associated with other athletic director openings around the country.
A search to find a new athletic director was announced on February 21. The Parker Executive Search firm from Atlanta has been working with Kaler and University search committee volunteers. “It’s a good pool (of candidates) and I think we’ll get a great athletic director,” Kaler said on Saturday.
Kaler said he’s been committed to receiving input regarding the athletic director position. “We’ve spent a lot of time listening to the community about the features they want in the next A.D. and I think the person we hire will match those qualities,” he said. “I expect the community will reach out and embrace that person. I think people want success in Gopher athletics as much as we do and we’re gonna work together to make that happen.”
The president confirmed on Saturday that talks are ongoing regarding a contract extension for basketball coach Tubby Smith but no deal will be finalized without communications involving the new athletic director. “I am not going to do anything with Tubby and then hand it to the new A.D. They’ll (the athletic director) have input on it.”