Jan. 29--Illinois is narrowing the field of candidates for the athletic director vacancy and top university administrators will meet with potential hires early next week in Indianapolis, according to Tribune sources.
The Illini are expected to interview at least three or four candidates and could finalize their decision by the end of next week, sources said.
Some potential candidates have been uneasy about pursuing the opening, sources said, because of the uncertainty above them in the university hierarchy. Chancellor Barbara Wilson is operating on an interim basis.
The next athletic director will take over in the wake of scandal that ultimately led to the firing of Mike Thomas on Nov. 9. He was dismissed on the same day that a university-hired law firm released the findings of an investigation into the football program that found former head coach Tim Beckman to have mistreated players' injuries and acted inappropriately.
Wilson said that Thomas had done nothing wrong.
Illinois promoted Bill Cubit from interim to head coach on a two-year deal at the end of the regular season. The next athletic director would be tasked with deciding his fate.
sryan@tribpub.com
