Athletic Director Search Under Way

Cal State Fullerton President Milton A. Gordon said he is organizing a search committee for the Titan athletic director job and hopes to have a permanent replacement by July or August.

The job became vacant last week when Ed Carroll resigned to accept an assistant athletic director position at UC Irvine. Gordon said he will name an interim athletic director within the month.

Among the candidates for the interim position are Fullerton associate athletic directors Steve DiTolla and Leanne Grotke, football Coach Gene Murphy and recreation director Ron Andris. Grotke, Murphy and Andris all have been interim athletic directors at Fullerton.

Gordon met with Titan coaches, seeking their input, for about an hour Wednesday. According to wrestling Coach Dan Lewis, Gordon will form a seven- to nine-member search committee, consisting of one or two coaches, one student and faculty members. He also will conduct a national search.

“The coaches want someone who knows the conditions at Fullerton, someone who is visible and good with the media and who has the organizational skills we’d need,” Lewis said. “It was a good meeting. I have a lot of confidence in the president.”

Of the three potential candidates who have been mentioned for the permanent position, two are former Titan athletic directors: Lynn Eilefson, who is now working at a bank in Fresno, and Neale Stoner, executive director of the California Raisin Bowl.

The other is Sonoma State Athletic Director Ralph Barkey, who was the Titan Athletic Foundation director in 1978-79 and worked under Gordon at Sonoma State.

“It’s important the coaches have a say in what’s going on, and Dr. Gordon is very sensitive to that,” Murphy said. “He’ll sit back and listen to what people have to say, then he’ll make his decision.”