That search began to disintegrate when four of the finalists abruptly withdrew their names. It collapsed after the faculty declared the last two candidates unfit to lead.

Now Florida's most prestigious university is gearing up another search, hoping once again to lure an academic powerhouse to Gainesville. The goal is to attract a sitting president -- or at least a provost -- from among the nation's leading research universities.

But obstacles remain. Some are even more formidable than the problems that sank the last attempt three years ago.

The state is now last in the nation in higher education funding. Voters recently approved Florida's third higher education governance system in two years, raising serious questions about who is in charge.

And there is the state's reputation for filling its presidencies with politicians instead of academics. It happened last year at Florida State University and several weeks ago at Florida Atlantic University.

"These items are going to be brought up," said Manny Fernandez, a member of UF's board of trustees and leader of the search committee. "They are there. Big deal."

So can the University of Florida attract a top-notch academic?

If any Florida school can, it's UF, experts say.

The school is generally regarded as one of the nation's top 25 public universities, with a hefty endowment, a star-studded faculty and a top-notch student body. It has a medical school, one of the nation's premier sports programs and a fanatical alumni base.

Its goal, though, is to be among the top 10 public universities in the United States.

"The University of Florida wants to grow academically," said Ted Marchese, a senior consultant at Academic Search Consultation Searches in Washington, which isn't involved in the UF search. "There's somebody out there that can help it do that. But it's going to take some looking."

A note of realism

The key, state education leaders say, is controlling expectations.

"It's clear that the University of Florida is the most distinguished and comprehensive university in Florida," said Adam Herbert, who was chancellor of the state university system during the last search. "But people have to be realistic about their expectations considering our environment."

UF officials say this search will be different from the failed effort three years ago.

The search committee is one-third smaller than the unwieldly, 52-member committee created in 2000. The school can take its time filling the job because president Charles Young, recruited as an interim, is willing to remain two more years if needed.

And only a small number of other major research schools are searching for a leader now, which means less competition.

"It's a much better environment than it was three years ago," said Steve Uhlfelder, a UF graduate and member of the Board of Governors, which oversees the state's 11 public universities. "There's no reason for people to feel worried. I don't think they are going to have any problem getting a good person."

The search committee and trustees have set their sights on hiring a sitting president at a school in the Association of American Universities, whose 60 members include the nation's top research institutions.

About half are public universities, including UF and the universities of Michigan, Virginia and California-Berkeley.

But UF officials know they are more likely to attract a provost or vice president from one of those schools, or from another public university. That's what happened last time, when the finalists included the president of the University of Nebraska and a vice president from Virginia Tech.

"There may be downsides out there," said David Mica, a search committee member and head of the UF Alumni Association board of directors. "But being the president of the University of Florida is a premier job."

No one has applied yet, but a few names are floating around. They include Herbert, now executive director of a think tank at the University of North Florida, and David Colburn, UF's provost and chief academic officer. There also are longshot candidates -- people such as U.S. Sen. Bob Graham, a UF graduate and candidate for U.S. president. There's even talk of dream candidates such as National Security Adviser Condeleezza Rice, who was provost of Stanford University.

Search committee members insist that they want an academic to run UF. They are spending $100,000 on a search firm, A.T. Kearney, that will help them find candidates.

"My gut tells me this is a time we need to find an academic," said Marshall Criser, an attorney and former UF president who now serves as the trustees chairman. "Someone who can take UF to the top academically."

Understanding the goal

About 20 percent of university presidents nationwide are "nontraditional" leaders, defined as people who come out of politics or the business world.

"We don't want to go for that trend," said Nikki Fried, a committee member and UF's student body president. "People would expect us to because of the political nature of Florida, but because of the expectations, we probably wouldn't."

In December, FSU picked T.K. Wetherell, a former Florida House speaker, to be its campus leader. In January, FAU named then-Lt. Gov. Frank Brogan its new president.

"Florida, in my estimation, is more political," said Jay Berger, a California headhunter who worked on several Florida searches, including the one that brought Judy Genshaft to the University of South Florida. "But I would be really surprised if the University of Florida selects someone from outside academia. UF is a different school. It's more academic in nature."

Search committee members say they are looking for someone like Young, the former longtime chancellor at UCLA who came to Gainesville in 1999 when John Lombardi resigned as president. The 71-year-old Young told the trustees last year that he wanted to leave office by fall 2004, but would stay on longer if needed.

"We need to have someone who understands this mission," said Pierre Ramond, a UF physics professor and committee member. "Somebody who has exposure running or helping run a research university."

While committee members stress that they want someone with an academic background, they are leaving the door open for nontraditional candidates by saying a Ph.D. is a preferred qualification, but not a requirement. UF also may advertise the job in Forbes and the Economist, business and political magazines, as well as the more typical Chronicle of Higher Education.

"It's much more important that we not get mired in pedigree," Mica said. "It depends on what you have to offer . . . I'm totally open."

The committee, which meets again next week, expects to start advertising in April and taking applications in May. It will eventually forward three names to the trustees.

-- Times researchers Kitty Bennett and Cathy Wos contributed to this report.

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