A national search for a new athletics director for the ¹û¶³´«Ã½ is underway, one week after Scott Farmer stepped down. The search committee held its first meeting on Tuesday.
Dr. Anita Hazelwood, ’76, allied health professor and faculty representative to the ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Department, is chair of the committee. Other members include Hollis Conway, ’91, Olympic medalist; Robert Daigle, chair of the Ragin' Cajuns Athletic Foundation; Karren Hays, ’80, past Alumni Association president; head volleyball coach Heather Mazeitis-Fontenot; head baseball coach Tony Robichaux; and student representatives Denice Emokpae and DJ Sanders.
Mike Alden, former Mizzou athletics director, is a special consultant to the search committee. He was on campus to meet with the committee this week.
Farmer resigned to take a faculty position in the University's School of Kinesiology. He served as director of Louisiana ¹û¶³´«Ã½ for the past five years and led the department to unprecedented growth. Under his leadership, the department doubled its athletic budget, spent more than $69 million facilities improvements and doubled donations to the RCAF.
Deputy Director of ¹û¶³´«Ã½ Dr. Jessica Leger is the interim AD while the university conducts the search. The appointment of Leger is pending approval of the Board of Supervisors of the University of Louisiana System.