Billikens Have a Coach Now Need an AD

Wanted: One Athletic Director. Duties include oversight of non-revenue and Olympic sports. No football team. Oversight of the men's basketball team handled by the university president. Must be willing to accept direct meddling, blame and open knowledge by all of a lack of any actual power. Must also be willing to pretend the job is more than a stepping stone to a better opportunity. Ability to suck-up to rich donors, required. Low self-esteem a plus.

Cheryl Levick resigned as the Athletic Director (AD) at St. Louis University. She will be moving to the University of Maryland to be the chief of staff/executive senior associate director of athletics under Debbie Yow -- also a former AD at St. Louis.

Levick's time at SLU effectively ended in April, when Brad Soderberg was fired as basketball coach after Levick had recommended he be given one more season. The school's president, the Rev. Lawrence Biondi, overruled her and fired Soderberg. Then Biondi took over the hiring process that led to the arrival of Rick Majerus -- Levick never conducted a one-on-one interview with the coach -- and she essentially had been stripped of her authority. With the two most important decisions in the department taken away, her position at SLU was widely seen as untenable and her departure inevitable.

Levick lasted only 3 years at St. Louis. Her eventual replacement will be the 6th AD since Rev. Lawrence Biondi became President of St. Louis University in 1987. The two prior ADs moved to bigger jobs. Debbie Yow went to Maryland and Doug Woolard is now the South Florida AD.

The local media reaction, beyond the inevitability of Levick's resignation was a chance to pile on Rev. Biondi one more time. The nugget of truth in all of this, is that Biondi has made the job unappealing. On top of no football program (not even a 1-AA), it is clear that the AD at St. Louis has no real power over the basketball program -- the most visible and important aspect of the job.

Biondi clearly will be watching the basketball program. With Rick Majerus as the coach, the biggest key for anyone who wants the job is how well Majerus likes him or her. That means the AD of St. Louis will have very little power or influence.

The St. Louis AD job has been a stepping stone to bigger athletic director gigs, but now it doesn't even offer that much.

Previously at Fanhouse:
St. Louis Going Back to the Missouri Valley?
Rick Majerus has a Girlfriend?
St. Louis Billikens Aim High -- For Now
Rick Majerus Could Be Next Coach at Saint Louis