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University of Maine athletic director Blake James confirmed Friday that he is among the 15 candidates being considered to fill the same position at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Fla.
The announcement was released to media outlets following the listing of James’ name in a report issued by the News-Press of Fort Myers. There were 172 candidates for the position left vacant by former FGCU athletic director Carl McAloose, who resigned on Oct. 31 after nine years at the school.
If James is selected for the position and accepts, he will be expected to begin his duties at the school on July 1.
“My reason for applying would really have a lot to do with being able to be closer to family,” James said. “They have a Division I program that I think is an up and coming program, in an area that has a lot of growth potential.”
James has been the athletic director at UMaine since 2005, and was the senior associate athletic director for two years prior.
According to News-Press, the remaining candidates will receive telephone interviews March 22 to 24. A selection of four to eight of the finalists will receive on-campus interviews to be conducted April 13 to 24. FGCU Vice President for Academic Affairs and Associate Provost Hudson Rogers is head of the selection committee.
The position is being held on an interim basis by Jo-Ann Nester, associate athletic director for compliance at FGCU. Nester is also being considered for the permanent job, and along with Bradley University athletic director Kenneth Kavanagh received the most nominations of the remaining candidates.
Rogers told News-Press that the slate will be wiped clean for the remainder of the selection process, and all candidates will be considered equally.
Binghamton University athletic director Joel Thayer is also listed. All but one candidate is currently employed by a Division I institution. Twelve are current or former Division I athletic directors.
McAloose resigned from FGCU shortly after the settlement of a $3.4 million gender-equity lawsuit against the school, in which he was named. He aided in the transition of FGCU athletics to the Division I level two years ago, and its 14 sports teams have won 75 percent of contests since the school opened in 1997, including three Atlantic Sun Conference Championships.
“Obviously it’s always more enjoyable to win than lose, and that’s something that brings great satisfaction, and something you want to accomplish in the job, but it wasn’t a factor that I looked at in terms of determining if I did apply for the job or not,” James said. “Applying for the job really was based on an opportunity to be closer to family.”
Since opening in 1997, FGCU has advanced from a 2548 student institution competing in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics to the current 10,221 student, Division I level enrollment. Thirty million dollars have been put toward construction of athletics facilities at the university.
In James’ tenure at UMaine, new playing surfaces on the football field, field hockey field and baseball field have been installed. Sports teams have struggled in recent years, winning less than 40 percent of contests since 2007. Only the 2009 volleyball team (America East conference semi-finals) and the 2008 football team (NCAA tournament) have had success in postseason competition.
Student-athletes have excelled in the classroom during James’ time at UMaine. The university honored 258 athletes for academic achievement at a February ceremony, the most in the history of the school’s Scholar Athletes and Rising Stars program.
“We have a staff that genuinely cares about our student-athletes as people and wants to see them grow well and do well academically and athletically, and I think that’s something special,” James said. “I don’t think that happens everywhere.”
James began his career at the University of Miami (FL) in corporate sales and athletic development. He then had stints at the University of Nebraska and Providence College, before coming to UMaine. James received a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Minnesota State University-Mankato in 1992 and a Master’s degree from St. Thomas University in Miami, Fla., in 1994.
