Carr hired to help in UNC AD search

North Carolina

Carr hired to help in UNC AD search

By Aaron Schoonmaker

Sep 2, 2011

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Chapel Hill, N.C. — The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has hired Carr Sports Associates, Inc. to help in the search of a new director of athletics.

The university and the firm, led by Bill Carr, finalized their contract on Aug. 30 which outlines the duties of CSA. The firm will be compensated $40,000 for its aid in “identifying and recruiting candidates.”

The university will use non-state funds to pay CSA in its recommendations to Chancellor Holden Thorp and a 13-person search committee.

"We are very pleased to join with Bill Carr and his associates to help the committee start fulfilling its assignment - to find the very best person with outstanding athletic administration credentials to become our next athletic director," said search committee chair Lowry Caudill in a statement released Friday.

On Aug. 26, the search committee comprised of administrators, students, ethics specialists and athletes like former UNC and NBA basketball player Eric Montross, met to discuss their thoughts on filling the position that Dick Baddour has held for 14 years.

Carr, who is a former athletic director at the universities of Florida and Houston, was one of two firms that made pitches to the committee at that time along with Todd Turner, a UNC graduate, and former AD at North Carolina State in the 1990s.

Bill Carr will serve as the firm's principal representative for the UNC search. His firm has previously worked to find head coaches, athletic directors, conference commissioners and executives at more than four dozen Division I schools and conferences. Clients include UNC, Duke, North Carolina State, UNC-Asheville and Maryland when current NC State AD Debbie Yow was the athletics director for the Terps.

Coming out of the Aug. 26 meeting, the committee noted their sense of urgency in filling the director of athletics position being vacated by Baddour. At a press conference announcing the firing of head football coach Butch Davis, {{a href="story-9922028""Baddour announced he will be stepping down{{/a}} after 14 years in the position. He has been with the university in some capacity for over four decades.

One of the first orders of business for the new director of athletics will be to name a permanent head football coach. Everett Withers was named the interim head coach shortly before fall practices opened, a promotion from his defensive coordinator position.

The search committee has scheduled meetings for Sept. 7 and 14.

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RE: Carr hired to help in UNC AD search

I am a State grad/fan and never suggested that UNC should not hire a recruiting company as consultants in the AD search. I must have missed the thread where WolfPack fans were critical of such a suggestion. I suggested Todd Turner for the position.

RE: Carr hired to help in UNC AD search

Having spent the money, I hope we don't go out and hire Thorp's best friend, who, as it turns out, is unemployed and has been available from day 1.
- Posted by heelman73

Who is that? Butch? Butch has only been available for about a month or so.

Maybe they should hire him so he can "clean up the program"! LOL
- Posted by TruthBKnown Left The Building
Dang Badger, those drugs wore off and you are back with a purpose. Gonna hit 30K over the weekend, huh? I was under the impression you were in seclusion and under sedation after Nutz pounded you this AM over RW.
- Posted by GhostofSmitty

I'm officially ignoring the RW/MG debate now. Nutz can have that one. I know the real deal and I'm content. If y'all want to wallow in your ignorance, feel free to do so. I won't be there wasting my breath, fighting that fight. He just wants to drag TOB down and it's obvious. He doesn't care one iota about Russell Wison.

RE: Carr hired to help in UNC AD search

Mikecussmeout-have you ever thought why folks hate UNC could be because of the arrogance of some Tar Heel supporters??? Just a thought!!
- Posted by cwood3

Let me settle this. That's the ONLY reason we hate Carolina. Well, also maybe because of their favored status with the BoG.
- Posted by TruthBKnown Left The Building
I'd would be for changing that for equal represention from all the schools.
- Posted by mikecussmeout
I guess that means you would only accept a change that would create a majority of NC State representives on the BoG.
- Posted by mikecussmeout

Not at all. I want fairness, not for State to get the same advantages Carolina has had all these years.

Carolina has had an uneven playing field all these years. I want the field EVEN, not tilted in favor of State.

RE: Carr hired to help in UNC AD search

The UNC regulars here bring this topic up about State and Duke fans more than ABCers claim this about UNC.
- Posted by markedectomy - 903

I didn't know that was a documented statistic, but in this case, it was a State fan that brought it up. My wife is a Green Bay fan and has never stepped foot in Wisconsin, gonna break her heart when I tell her she has to be a Panthers fan since that's where we live and are from.
- Posted by kornfan2448

Nothing wrong with picking an NFL team. None of us "attend" NFL programs. We're ONLY fans, not "alumni" of NFL teams.
- Posted by TruthBKnown Left The Building

so are you implying people cant be ONLY fans not alumni of college teams?
- Posted by Rdi73162

No, it happens all the time. ;)

RE: Carr hired to help in UNC AD search

Mikecussmeout-have you ever thought why folks hate UNC could be because of the arrogance of some Tar Heel supporters??? Just a thought!!
- Posted by cwood3

Let me settle this. That's the ONLY reason we hate Carolina. Well, also maybe because of their favored status with the BoG.
- Posted by TruthBKnown Left The Building

Speaking of TBK, does anyone else think it is ironic that Wilson is a Badger now? Haha.
TBK, I'll pick you up around 12 for the UNC game.
- Posted by wjuliang

Haha! I'd like to go. But we have our season tickets already for State. I'll be tailgating during the Carolina game. Good luck to your Heels. Maybe we'll both be undefeated when we meet in November? :)

I know, that's out of character for me. I'm in a good mood. This is the first football weekend of the season!

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