A national search for a new athletics director for the University of ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ at Lafayette 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 ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ 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 ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ 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 ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ 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 ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥ System.