Woolard contacted about Washington AD job
TAMPA -- Doug Woolard, coming up on four years as USF's athletic director, has been contacted by the University of Washington as the Huskies search for their next athletic director.
It's unknown whether Woolard, 58, would be interested in the Huskies' job, which has been open since Todd Turner resigned in December. Woolard did not return calls from the Times seeking comment Monday.
Woolard's first job as a college administrator was 20 years ago at rival Washington State, where he was the associate athletic director from 1989-94, so he is a familiar name in the state and around the Pac-10 Conference. Washington men's basketball coach Lorenzo Romar, who is on the university's search committee, was hired by Woolard as head coach at Saint Louis when Woolard was athletic director there in 1999.
Woolard is well-compensated as USF's athletic director, making $421,950 this year, but would likely draw a higher salary with the Huskies, and would preside over a larger athletic budget. Washington is in the middle of a push for a $300-million stadium renovation, and could be hiring a football coach after this season, as coach Ty Willingham is 11-25 in three seasons.


Times sportswriter Greg Auman, who covers USF, will post news and thoughts on the Bulletin and we invite your participation in the comments area.
This would be a HUGE loss for the entire program of USF. I cannot emphasize that any more. He has done so much for this University and could continue to if he stays.
Posted by: Miles Lamoureux | June 03, 2008 at 12:05 AM
A dark day if he does leave
Posted by: Brendan in Tokyo | June 03, 2008 at 03:36 AM
He has done a good job, but the AD department would survive if he left. Just don't promote Barbara Sparks-McGlinchey.. Lord help us.
Plenty of guys out there to sit back and watch CJL bring in the bucks.
CJL runs the show over there anyways.
Posted by: Ari Hinkelberger | June 03, 2008 at 04:26 AM
BRING BACK LEROY!!!
Posted by: Mike Lakeland | June 03, 2008 at 07:51 AM
Barbara is retiring so no worries on that front. I don't think it will be a bad thing if Woolard leaves. While really good its not like he is the Jack Welch of AD's. We could possibly upgrade.
Posted by: SMH | June 03, 2008 at 08:08 AM
Woolard is the reason we are where we are. Leroy was a nice AD for a 1-AA program. Have you guys not seen the teams that Doug has signed contracts with . We have an even 6 year series with Miami. We must keep Wollard at all cost.
Posted by: flsportsfan83 | June 03, 2008 at 08:49 AM
Woolard is the reason we are where we are. Leroy was a nice AD for a 1-AA program. Have you guys not seen the teams that Doug has signed contracts with . We have an even 6 year series with Miami. We must keep Wollard at all cost.
Posted by: flsportsfan83 | June 03, 2008 at 08:49 AM
Ari,
I don't know what your problem is with Barbara Sparks-McGlinchy, but she is probably one of the nicest people at USF. She will be stepping down so don't worry your little heart about it.
Posted by: Miles Lamoureux | June 03, 2008 at 09:59 AM
What ... Notre Dame is not calling him?
Maybe Prez Judy can go too and we can get new leadership that can manage a Big East program. Time to find real leaders that can generate real revenue and manage the program out of the Big East cellar in coaches salaries, facilities and championships. The search committee blew it years ago - hope they get the opportunity to fix it
this time.
Let's not forget that the AD before Lee Roy hired CJL and set the foundation for where we are today in a BCS conference.
Posted by: Castor Troy | June 03, 2008 at 10:09 AM
This will give a great indication of where Woolard wishes to close out his career.
If he turns away from this opportunity on his own, it will be a great sign that he has fully bought into USF as his last job and primary definer of his legacy.
I for one hope he does exactly this.
Posted by: 941 | June 03, 2008 at 10:39 AM
Woolard has indisputably done excellent work at USF. If he chooses to go, he will be missed.
Posted by: upstart bull | June 03, 2008 at 11:08 AM
I think he will continue to build up the USF program. CJL stayed here when Bama came calling and I think he will too. He has excellent job security here and heads a department that has room to grow in terms of $$. How much is our current atheltic budget?
Posted by: Tom | June 03, 2008 at 12:26 PM
Castor Troy ... trying to block that movie out of my memory. Just set me back like two years ...
Posted by: G.A. | June 03, 2008 at 03:40 PM
Barbara Sparks McGlinchey is a nice person... I guess.
She won't remember me, but my impression wasn't very good considering the five minutes I met with her. And considering she was in charge of all the sports except football and basketball, im not impressed.
With the exception of softball, do we have a single sport that was good??
Maybe Men's soccer. Heck, the women's volleyball coach sued the school. j
Its a long story. I wish i could tell it. But I met with her for 5 minutes in the summer of 1998 on an issue that was important to me and she did not handle it well.
Posted by: Ari Hinkelberger | June 03, 2008 at 05:38 PM
Correction. It was the summer of 2000 i think
Posted by: Ari Hinkelberger | June 03, 2008 at 05:39 PM