The University of Maine has named the search committee to choose the next athletic director and expects to have the new AD on board by early December.
The executive search firm, Raleigh, North Carolina-based Collegiate Sports Associates, will assist alongside the 15-member search committee, according to a release from UMaine
Ken Ralph stepped down as athletic director on Sept. 1 to accept a similar position at Division III Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. He spent four years at UMaine and earned $227,032.56 in his final year.
Samantha Hegmann-Wary, associate athletic director for compliance and senior women’s administrator, has been serving as the interim AD.
The chairperson of the search committee is John Volin, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost.
The rest of the search committee will be comprised of M.J. Sedlock, faculty senate president; Seth Woodcock, senior associate athletic director; professor Judith Rosenbaum-Andre; Ann Maxim, academic support services director; former Dean Anne Pooler; assistant professor Muralee Das; field hockey head coach Josette Babineau; men’s hockey head coach Ben Barr; women’s basketball head coast Amy Vachon; men’s basketball player Fofo Adetogun; women’s soccer player Tiana Bucknor; and UMaine Sports Hall of Famers Emily Ellis (women’s basketball), Chris Keating (football) and Jack Leggett (football and baseball).
The committee’s choice will have to be approved by UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy.
It is anticipated that the finalists will visit the campus by mid-November.
The new athletic director will be UMaine’s third in 12 years. Steve Abbott was the AD from 2010-13, beginning his tenure as the interim AD before becoming the permanent AD. Karlton Creech replaced Abbott in 2014 and left to take a similar position at the University of Denver in 2018, and then Ralph was named the AD.
Creech has since stepped down at Denver.
Woodcock was named the interim AD between Abbott and Creech, and James Settele was the interim AD between Creech and Ralph.
The new AD will inherit a program with a $90 million gift provided by the Harold Alfond Foundation for upgrades to all of UMaine’s athletic facilities.
UMaine is responsible for raising $20 million to complement the Alfond Foundation gift.
A new softball field and hitting pavilion is already in the process of being constructed and should be ready for the spring season while a new soccer field and field hockey facility are expected to be ready for next season.
Among the several other projects are a new multi-purpose basketball facility on campus for the men’s and women’s teams and an upgrade to Alfond Arena where the men’s and women’s hockey teams play.
