Nearly two months ago, President Dr. Renu Khator announced a change in leadership for the University of Houston's athletic department. Since then, there has been little to no communication from leadership regarding a timeline to fill the hole left by Chris Pezman. According to Paper City Houston and the Houston Chronicle, the search is now down to two candidates and should be filled by this time next week. But leaving the ship captainless for this long has been a disappointing development to monitor over this summer.
The main issue of not having an athletic director in place is obvious: since June 20, UH’s sports programs have been operating in a leadership vacuum. This means that an entire summer has been wasted in terms of setting long term strategic goals, making sure that a new football coaching staff is settled and getting what they need and handling the taxing day to day issues that come up within a major conference athletic department.
The financial implications of this delay cannot be overstated as well. The athletic director plays a crucial role in managing budgets, securing sponsorships, and fostering donor relationships. This is obviously a top priority and concern for University leadership as financial issues is what cost Pezman his job in the first place. An entire summer of starting to develop the relationships needed to land those big fish and starting the process of getting the books in order has been lost due to the seemingly meandering search process that has taken place.
Don't misunderstand: a change in the athleic department's leadership was warranted if not needed. But the lack of urgency to get a new person in place is headscratching. What is equally confusing is wondering how you pull the trigger to make such a drastic shift without having someone all but secured to take over or a very short list of candidates you know will produce the final hire. For example, when the decision was made to relieve Dana Holgorsen of his duties last winter, Willie Fritz was hired in less than 10 days. There were multiple candidates, but there was a short list and interviews were quickly had and a hire was made. Why hasn't that been the process here?
The final two candidates on paper seem like fantastic choices. They both have a wealth of SEC experience and have been successful in multiple athletic departments over their careers. When a hire is made it will no doubt be exciting to see what the person has planned and what fresh ideas can be brought to Cullen Boulevard. That does not change the fact, however, that University leadership has dropped the ball with the process of this hire.
The University of Houston stands at a critical juncture. The landscape of college athletics is changing nearly daily and everyday without a leader digs the financial hole the athletic department finds itself in just a little bit deeper. It is time to move past this impasse and secure the leadership needed to drive UH’s athletic programs forward.
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