Three Finalists Selected for Athletic Director Position at UAF

Submitted by Kasey Gillam
Phone: (907) 474-7581
10/04/02

A former UAF hockey coach, the associate athletic director from a Division I university and the owner of a private sports academy are the next three candidates vying for the position of director of athletics and recreation at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

The three finalists are Richard Schafer, Corene Schwartz and John Thurston. Schafer was the head hockey coach at UAF from 1980-1987. After leaving UAF he served as the head hockey coach at the University of Notre Dame, and later served as director of athletics for Indiana University South Bend until 2001. Schafer is the owner of Schafer and Sons LLC, LTC Insurance. He received his master of science degree in administration from the University of Notre Dame.

Schwartz is the associate athletic director for Evansville University in Indiana. She was recently promoted to the position after serving four years as assistant athletic director for compliance, academics and student welfare. Prior to Evansville, Schwartz served as director of student-athlete academic and support services at Colorado State University and as athletic academic counselor from the University of Wyoming. Schwartz received her master’s degree in physical education from the University of North Dakota and her doctorate in adult, community and higher education from Montana State University.

Thurston is currently part owner and general manager of the Suwanee Sports Academy in Atlanta. The academy is the largest private basketball facility in the Southeast. Prior to that, Thurston was the assistant director of athletics for Marist School in Atlanta, a private high school that fielded 64 teams serving more than 750 athletes. Thurston was director of athletics for Wingate University in North Carolina for nine years, while also serving as the head men’s basketball coach. Thurston has also been head basketball coach for James Madison University in Virginia and Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey.

The three candidates were selected from a pool of 34 applicants. The current search is a continuation of one that started at the beginning of the year. That search brought three finalists to the UAF campus in June; however, the university chose not to offer the position to any one of them and to continue the process instead. A first review of new applicants began Sept. 9.

The finalists were selected by a six-person search committee. Members of the committee include chair Scott McCrea, marketing coordinator for the Tanana Valley Campus; Tim Bauer, manager, UAF Business Office and president of the UAF Face Off Club; Rosemary Froese, business manager, UAF athletics; Jeff Ross, Fairbanks Daily News-Miner advertising director; Therese Sharp, of Walsh, Kelliher and Sharp accounting firm; and John Zarling, retired UAF engineering faculty.

"I am pleased with the ongoing efforts of the search committee and impressed with the candidates produced for this second round," said Jake Poole, special assistant to the chancellor for athletics and recreation. "All three candidates have strong qualities that would be a good fit for our program, and we are excited to have the chance to bring them up and meet them in person, as well as giving the UAF and Fairbanks communities a chance to meet them."

Receptions will take place on Oct. 21 for Ric Schafer, Oct. 22 for Candace Schwartz and Oct. 31 for John Thurston. All receptions will be held in the Nanook Lounge of the Patty Center at 5:30 p.m.

CONTACT: Scott McCrea, chair, UAF Athletic Director Search Committee, (907) 474-1157 or fnsjm@uaf.edu.