DULL QUITS AS HEAD OF CSUN ATHLETICS CONTROVERSIAL SIX-YEAR TENURE CONCLUDES.Byline: Jill Painter Staff Writer In a tearful meeting with his coaching staff Thursday afternoon, Dick Dull stepped down as Cal State Northridge athletic director Athletic director (commonly, "athletics director") is a position at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, which oversees the work of the coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic , ending a controversial six-year tenure that included the elimination of the school's football program. In a surprise move, Dull resigned the position to assume a fundraising role for the financially strapped department. Among the projects of immediate concern are upgrades to the school's gymnasium. Senior associate athletic director Janet Lucas, who has been at CSUN CSUN California State University Northridge for one year, will take over as interim athletic director. Dull, 60, will begin his new duties Aug. 1. CSUN will conduct a national search beginning in January. That effectively gives Lucas a one-year tryout. If she sheds the interim label, she will become one of just a handful of women serving as Division I athletic directors The following is a list of Division I universities in the United States (listed alphabetically by state) and their current Director of Athletics. Schools are alphabetized by commonly used short name, regardless of their official name. The abbreviation "St. . ``I found it increasingly difficult to run an athletic program with those (facility) needs,'' Dull said. ``I hope to make an impact. We're not a major player, and we may not be for some time, but we're making progress.'' It wasn't a surprise that Dull needed change. Earlier this year, he was a finalist for the athletic director position at Indiana State University Indiana State University, main campus at Terre Haute; coeducational; est. 1865 as a normal school, became Indiana State Teachers College in 1929, gained university status in 1965. There is also a campus at Evansville (opened 1965). but did not get the job. Dull said he thought he could best serve the school by focusing on improving the gymnasium, which has a seating capacity Noun 1. seating capacity - the number of people that can be seated in a vehicle or auditorium or stadium etc. commodiousness, spaciousness, capaciousness, roominess - spatial largeness and extensiveness (especially inside a building); "the capaciousness of Santa's of 1,600, the smallest in the Big West Conference. His plan is to raise $10 million for the facility, including a 1,400-seat addition. Dull said the school has no plans to build a new arena. Dull, with one year left on his contract, said he'd been discussing the new position with university officials for about eight months. But this was news to coaches, many of whom looked stunned as they walked out of the meeting. ``It's a sad day, just the impact of this is a disappointment,'' CSUN basketball coach Bobby Braswell Bobby Braswell, an American basketball coach, is currently the head coach for Cal State Northridge. Braswell was named the fourth head coach in Northridge history on April 30, 1996, succeeding the retired Pete Cassidy. said. ``He's meant a lot, all the things he's dealt with over the years and the budget and everything else. He's been a guy that's motivated us and kept our spirits up.'' During his career, Dull has spent 15 years as an athletic director. He was the AD at the University of Maryland University of Maryland can refer to:
Dull's tenure at CSUN was highlighted by the basketball team's first NCAA Tournament NCAA Tournament can mean: Men's Sports
But it was the dropping of the football program in 2001 that made the most news. The move balanced the department's $1 million budget deficit, but was viewed as a step backward in the athletic community. When asked whether she thought the athletic department needed a change, school President Jolene Koester Jolene Koester is the president of California State University, Northridge. The California State University Board of Trustees announced her appointment as president on November 16, 1999, and she took office as the fourth president of the University on July 1, 2000. said: ``I think he was the one saying change would be really useful.'' Koester, who attends numerous athletic events and nearly every home basketball game, praised Dull's work, citing the progress of most of the university's 20 sports. The school is promoting Dull's new position as a sign it is committed to enhancing its athletic facilities. Lucas, 47, has 25 years of athletic department experience, including 15 years at James Madison University “JMU” redirects here. For the university in Liverpool, England, see Liverpool John Moores University. For the public-policy college at Michigan State University, see . in Virginia. Her influence already is significant. She is in control of women's athletics. Braswell also reports to Lucas. ``I credit the university for being willing to give me this opportunity,'' Lucas said. ``There is untapped potential here. We haven't reached our limit by any means.'' Jill Painter, (818) 713-3615 jill.painter(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) DULL |
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