Charlotte 49ers hire consulting firm in search for new AD

The search for a new athletics director for the Charlotte 49ers appears ready to shift into high gear.

Monday, UNC Charlotte chancellor Phil Dubois announced that Turnkey Search will be the principal consultant in the search for a replacement for Judy Rose, who will retire June 30.

Gene DeFilippo, Turnkey’s managing director and a former athletics director at Boston College and Villanova, will direct the search. Turnkey was among 12 firms that responded to a request for proposals.

“Turnkey comes most highly recommended by higher education leaders I know and trust, and will bring their years of experience and vast professional networks to help us assemble a very competitive and diverse set of candidates for one of the best jobs available in intercollegiate sports today,” Dubois said in a statement.

According to a UNC Charlotte news release, Turnkey recently led successful searches for athletics directors at Michigan, Georgia Tech, Minnesota, Alabama and Nebraska.

DeFilippo is expected to start the process immediately and be on campus soon for a two-day visit.

Earlier this month, Dubois named a 10-person search committee that includes himself, Kevin Bailey (UNC Charlotte vice chancellor); Bob Brannan (excecutive VP, Uwharrie Bank, chair of UNCC Athletic Foundatation); John Iamarino (Southern Conference commissioner); Jeffrey Leak (UNCC faculty representative to NCAA); Krista Long (VP of sales and marketing, CalAtlantic Homes, past president of 49er Great Gold Rush Auction); Charleata Neal (human resources manager, UNCC department of facilities management); Martha Thomas (former 49ers soccer player); Lisa Walker (supervises operation of Athletic Academic Center at UNCC, former President of Faculty Council); and Fred Whitfield (president, COO Charlotte Hornets).

A timetable on hiring a new athletics director is unknown, although a decision will need to be made on the status of interim men’s basketball coach Houston Fancher when the season ends in March. Fancher replaced Mark Price, who was fired by Rose in December.

This story was originally published January 29, 2018 at 4:59 PM with the headline "Charlotte 49ers hire consulting firm in search for new AD."