Chuck Neinas has sifted through dozens of applicants and plucked a select few.
Neinas, the one-man search firm hired by South Florida to produce a list of finalists for the school's vacant athletic director position, announced three via teleconference Monday: Michigan State associate AD Mark Hollis, Virginia senior associate AD Jon Oliver and former Air Force AD Randy Spetman. Neinas said a fourth finalist will be named "in the very near future," and he could recommend as many as five. Hollis will spend Thursday on campus, likely followed by Spetman on Monday and then Oliver.
"We'll let the horses run; we'll have to see how they do," said USF vice president for advancement Michael Rierson, the co-interim athletic director and a member of the AD search committee. "We've shared a ton of information on the phone, but nothing substitutes for coming here."
The candidates will meet with the USF athletic and academic administrations, coaching staffs, alumni and booster groups and the 12-member search committee. Rierson emphasized the finalists' academic background. Hollis has an MBA, Oliver has a law degree and Spetman has two master's.
Hollis, 41, earned his degrees from Michigan State and in recent years has interviewed for the AD position there and at Pittsburgh. He was an assistant commissioner in the Western Athletic Conference and associate AD at Pitt before returning to MSU in 1995.
Hollis' responsibilities at MSU have emphasized marketing and promotions, including record-setting attendance events for ice hockey ("Cold War" vs. Michigan at Spartan Stadium) and basketball ("The BasketBowl" vs. Kentucky at Ford Field), games that drew more than 70,000 each. "It's almost a perfect situation at USF," Hollis said. "I like the synergy that appears to exist from the president (Judy Genshaft) to the athletic department and everyone in between. They've done great things, and the future is even brighter."
Oliver, 40, is a former basketball player at Boise State. He worked in the athletic department at Washington State from 1995 to 2001, rising from compliance intern to associate AD for finance and facilities development. Neinas cited Oliver's managerial skills in handling day-to-day operations at Virginia and said he received a recommendation from former Virginia AD and ACC commissioner Gene Corrigan, among others.
"The president at USF understands how athletics can be a window to the university," Oliver said. "You don't get too many situations where a unique opportunity becomes available, and I truly see this as a unique opportunity."
Spetman, 51, retired as a colonel in the Air Force on April 1, which required him to leave his post as AD after 81/2 years. Spetman's 281/2 years of experience in the Air Force includes commanding a squadron in Desert Storm. He was a defensive end in college. Spetman helped to generate $16-million annually for the AFA athletic department.
"It's a great program Lee Roy Selmon has put together," Spetman said. "I come from an institution where student-athletes have very few opportunities to play professionally. We concentrated on the graduation of student-athletes with integrity, character and discipline, and I hope to work toward that regard at South Florida."
ANOTHER APPLICANT: Former Texas State AD Greg LaFleur has applied for the USF job. LaFleur, a former NFL tight end, was an associate AD at LSU for 10 years and was at Texas State for 21/2 years before he was fired this winter.
FSU basketball player spends weekend in jail
FSU sophomore swingman Benson Callier, 21, spent the weekend in Leon County Jail after his arrest Friday on a month-old warrant issued by Pinellas County Traffic Court. His driver's license was suspended for not paying child support, according to the Tallahassee Police Department's probable cause arrest affidavit. He posted a $1,013 bond Monday.
- Times staff writer Brian Landman contributed to this report.
