Feb. 07--The finalists list for an Illinois athletic director is narrowing.
Interim Chancellor Barbara Wilson and a search committee of campus leaders met Monday and Tuesday with candidates in Indianapolis to conduct interviews.
Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley, Maryland deputy athletic director Kelly Mehrtens and Central Michigan athletic director Dave Heeke are no longer in the running, according to sources. That leaves a list of candidates that includes Florida Atlantic athletic director Patrick Chun, Northern Illinois athletic director Sean Frazier, Eastern Illinois athletic director Tom Michael and Division III Washington athletic director Josh Whitman, according to sources.
Illinois is seeking a new athletic director after the school fired Mike Thomas on Nov. 9 in the wake of scandals in the department involving alleged player mistreatment of football and women's basketball players. Thomas had fired football coach Tim Beckman a week before the season and assistant women's basketball coach Mike Divilbiss also parted ways with the university.
