Saint Louis AD has experience in moving between conferences.
By PETE YOUNG
Published May 6, 2004
TAMPA - Doug Woolard's resume reads like a precursor to becoming the South Florida athletic director.
On Wednesday, Woolard, 54, was the fourth and final candidate to make the campus rounds and interview with the search committee. Among Woolard's USF-matching credentials are his 10 years as AD at fellow Conference USA school Saint Louis. Early in his tenure there, Woolard guided the Billikens' transition from the Great Midwest to C-USA, which is comparable to USF's move from C-USA to the Big East in 2005.
"I have shepherded our school through conference changes," he said. "C-USA was a big jump for us, similar to USF right now."
And the metropolitan St. Louis area, with roughly 2.6-million people, is about the same size as the Tampa Bay area and has the same number of major pro teams (three) in the same sports (hockey, baseball and football).
"Similar to USF, we're the only Division I institution in that area," said Woolard, who played college basketball at Southern Illinois. "One of our goals has been that when people talk about the Rams, Cardinals and Blues, they also mention the Billikens."
Saint Louis and USF have one major difference. The Billikens haven't had football since World War II. But Woolard said he was heavily involved with football as an associate AD at Washington State from 1989 to 1994.
"I had the involvement with a football program at a very high level," he said. "One that has succeeded and moved forward."
Saint Louis also is a smaller (12,000 students, $9-million athletic budget) private school, but Woolard said those are not significant elements.
"You need somebody that can provide some leadership and vision and who has had a chance to do it on this level," he said.
Woolard's student-athletes at Saint Louis have led C-USA in cumulative GPA every year. His fundraising helped the school raise $12-million toward a goal of $30-million for a new oncampus arena, and he emphasized raising USF basketball to an NCAA Tournament caliber level because of the monetary windfall and other benefits. Saint Louis has ranked in the top 30 nationally in attendance eight of the past nine years.
"We've got to find the right niche," Woolard said. "Strategic planning is good, but we've got to have the right people on the bus and make sure they're sitting in the right seat."
The search committee meets today to review the candidates to succeed Lee Roy Selmon: Woolard, Michigan State associate AD Mark Hollis, Virginia senior associate AD Jon Oliver and former Air Force AD Randy Spetman. The committee said it will recommend one, two or three to USF president Judy Genshaft, who will make the final choice.
